New Delhi:
Slamming the Central government over vaccine shortage, Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Saturday raised questions on availability of vaccines at private hospitals. He said that while Centre says there aren’t enough vaccines, private hospitals are being given access and they are vaccinating young people at high costs.
“Delhi government wants to vaccinate all its youth free of cost. If there are no vaccines for this purpose, how are there vaccines for private hospitals,” asked the Deputy CM while addressing a press conference.
Sisodia said, “All states are waiting for vaccines. It is due to gross mismanagement on part of the central government that young people are not getting vaccinated. State governments have had to close down vaccination centres for the 18-44 age group due to end of supply.
“The Central Government told us that more stocks for the youth will not be available before 10th June. Even after 10th June, there won’t be enough to vaccinate everyone. Youth are the strength and energy of our country. The only way to keep them safe is to vaccinate them.”
Further, he said, “We are prepared to vaccinate all its 92 lakh people in the 18-44 age group within 3 months but we don’t have enough vaccines. We need 1 crore 84 lakh vaccine doses for that. However, we are being told that there isn’t enough availability of vaccines. How is it being made possible then, that private hospitals are being provided vaccines stocks to vaccinate young people at high costs? The Delhi Government only received 4.5 lakh doses in April, followed by 3.66 lakh doses in May.”
Meanwhile, referring to a meeting of the GST Council on Friday, where Finance Ministers of all states discussed the possibility of making vaccines and other COVID essentials tax-free, Sisodia said, “As the finance minister of Delhi, I proposed to make vaccines and other essential health equipment such as pulse-oximeter, PPE kits, etc. tax-free. Finance Ministers of West Bengal, Punjab, Chhattisgarh too demanded for the same. However, when I proposed the need to make vaccines and COVID-19 related equipment tax free, many officials of BJP resisted against this suggestion and therefore a consensus could not be concurred.”
“I want to know why is BJP, in a time of grave difficulties and challenges, protesting against removing GST on vaccines and COVID-19 medical equipment? Surely vaccinating our citizens and ensuring each and every person is taken care of more important that accumulating revenue in such a time of crisis? We should not think of earning money or getting revenue out of vaccines, oximeters, oxygen concentrators, ventilators, PPE kits etc. At this point, our priority should be to make our country and our people safe,” he concluded.
