New Delhi:
The national capital is expected to receive the Russian COVID-19 vaccine- Sputnik V after June 20, said Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday. “They are importing the vaccines right now, and they will allot a section of their imported vaccines to the Delhi government,” he stated.
The remark from Delhi CM came while he was addressing the media after inaugurating a ‘free of cost’ walk-in vaccination facility for journalists and their families at Sarvodaya Bal Vidyalaya in ITO. The newly launched facility will vaccinate journalists and their families of both age groups, 18-45 years and 45+ years.
Kejriwal said, “This vaccination centre has been especially started to vaccinate journalists and their families. I am happy that this facility has been launched and the demands of the journalists have been met. This facility will vaccinate journalists and their families of both age groups, 18-45 years and 45+ years.”
Further on the issue of black fungus cases in Delhi, he said, “There are 300 cases of Black Fungus in Central government hospitals and around 650 in Delhi government hospitals. However, the supply of injections is low. We had received 1000 injections the day before yesterday, but did not receive any injections yesterday. It takes 3-4 injections per person per day.”
“I believe that this is not the time to do politics. This is the time to help the states and fight Corona together. This does not suit the Central government. I appeal to the Central government to realise that this is the time to fight Corona, together as Team India,” reiterated the CM.
On the question of states being held responsible for the procurement of vaccines, Kejriwal said, “How will the states procure the vaccines? It has been 1.5-2 months since the Centre had announced that States should float the tenders. There are 36 states and UTs, every state and every political party has tried its best to procure the vaccines by filing global tenders. They could not procure a single vaccine injection on their own until now.
“It has become apparent that states are not able to procure vaccines on their own and the Central government has to do it. States should be held responsible if and when they are not able to make proper arrangements to administer the vaccines after the Centre has procured, produced and supplied the vaccines to us. Thus, I feel that procurement, production, and distribution of the vaccines is the responsibility of the Central government, and administering the vaccines is the responsibility of the state governments,” he asserted.
Lastly, on the uncertainty of availability of Covaxin, Kejriwal said, “I hope that second doses will be administered as soon as possible to the ones in need as soon as the Covaxin is available.”
Deputy CM Manish Sisodia also accompanied the CM for the inauguration of the vaccination centre.
