Jalandhar, June 5

Former BJP minister Manoranjan Kalia on Saturday said the government’s decision to withdraw the sold vaccine doses from private hospitals would not settle the issue.

He said, “There are many questions which demand answers. If the procurement of vaccines, done by officials, does not belong to the Health Department as per the version of Punjab Health Minister Balbir Singh Sidhu, then who had ordered Vikas Garg, IAS officer and nodal officer, to procure the same for Rs400 per dose and to sell at least 20,000 vaccine doses to private hospitals for Rs1,060 per dose, pocketing Rs660 per dose as profit in vaccination under corporate social responsibility?”

Kalia said, “When the Centre has fixed the quota of vaccine to be purchased from manufacturers among the Centre, state and private hospitals in the ratio of 50% : 25% : 25% the government in Punjab had no authority to sell the doses to private hospitals on profit.” He said: “Health Minister has not been taken into confidence for the purchase and sale of vaccine, then who is running the department? The decision shows that the government thinks after taking the decision and reverts to its earlier position.” — TNS