Chandigarh, June 3
The controversy over the vaccine supplied to private hospitals in Punjab seems to be getting murkier with the government on Friday withdrawing the stock.
The government has been accused of selling over 1.40 lakh doses of Covaxin, which they got at Rs 400 each, to 20 private hospitals for over Rs 1,000.
Principal Secretary Hussan Lal said the government had supplied 40,000 doses and only 1,000 were administered by private hospitals. “We have taken back the remaining stock,” he said.
Punjab Health Minister Balbir Singh Sidhu said that his department does not deal with vaccine procurement or distribution.
It is under the Chief Secretary or Covid Vaccine Nodal Officer Vikas Garg.
He said that the health department only tests the quality of vaccine and then administers to public. He said that after the reports, he has already ordered an inquiry into the matter and the responsibility should be fixed.
Meanwhile, BJP national general secretary Tarun Chugh has slammed the government for allegedly commercialising the sale of vaccine at a time when Punjab had recorded the highest Covid mortality rate in the country.
He said a criminal case should be registered against all those involved in the alleged “vaccine scam”. He said: “The vaccine was provided by the Centre for poor working class but was sold on commercial rates to private hospitals who in turn made huge money out of it.”
Chugh said it was pure “black marketing” by the state government, adding that, “All this happening when Punjab last month recorded 2.7 per cent Covid death rate, which was the highest in the country.” He demanded the Centre to take action against the government.
“It’s dangerous news. They (Punjab government) got over 1.40 lakh doses of Covaxin at Rs 400 each. And they gave some of the vaccines to 20 private hospitals at Rs 1,000 each. The state government wants to make a profit from the vaccination. What kind of government is this?” he charged.
He said: “It is shameful that when Punjab was suffering the worst in the country due to Covid the ruling party ministers and MLAs are busy settling personal scores”, adding that, the Punjab government functioning has completely collapsed and it was time for the Governor to intervene.
