Punjab Health Minister BS Sidhu on Friday responded to SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal’s allegations on the state’s Congress government that it has been diverting Covid vaccines to private hospitals at hefty margins.
While talking to the news agency ANI, Sidhu said his department does not have control over vaccines and also promised an investigation into the claim, with an initial report due this afternoon.
Badal said the Covid vaccine is available in Punjab but the government is selling the doses to private hospitals. The government purchased the doses at ₹ 400 per dose and sold them to private hospitals for ₹ 1,060 per dose – a profit of ₹ 660 per dose. The hospitals sold it at ₹ 1,560 per dose.
If they’ll not correct the vaccine rates or administer it for free of cost, we will go to High Court against the Punjab government or set an inquiry if the Akali Dal form a government in Punjab. Why is the Aam Aadmi Party silent over all this? Badal said.
Badal also said it is immoral for the Punjab government to profit from sale of #COVIDVaccines. People being punished during a time of economic slowdown. Congress government has abdicated its responsibility towards public welfare by corporatizing vaccine distribution. The entire #COVID management exercise stands exposed.
However, the Union Minister Prakash Javadekar also hit out at the Congress. Targetting former Congress president Rahul Gandhi, he said Gandhi should first look after the Congress-ruled state rather than giving lectures to others. Punjab government has been provided more than 1.40 lakh doses of Covaxin at Rs 400 & they’ve given it to 20 private hospitals at Rs 1000.
Gandhi had earlier criticised the Centre’s vaccination policy saying less than three percent of the country’s 130 crore population had received both doses of Covid-19. Gandhi also criticized PM Modi saying PM is responsible for the second wave.
Hitting out at Rahul Gandhi, Javadekar had in his tweet asked the Congress MP to pay attention to Congress-ruled states. There is a mess in vaccination. He also accused non-BJP governments, which have red-flagged low vaccine stocks, of not taking the quota for 18-44 age group given to them from May 1.
Punjab is among several states to have red-flagged low vaccine stocks over the past few weeks, as the country battles a devastating second wave of Covid infections and deaths.