NEW DELHI: Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia on Monday accused the Centre of “mismanaging” the Covid-19 vaccination programme, urging the government to approve Pfizer and Moderna on a war footing. “I urge the Centre not to make this vaccination programme a joke,” he said.
In an online briefing, he alleged that the central government has asked states to float global tenders for jabs without giving approval to vaccines of foreign companies. Asking the Centre to rise above petty politics and provide vaccines for the citizens of Delhi, Sisodia, who is also the Covid nodal officer in the national capital, said: “This is an unprecedented situation and we need to tackle this virus head-on, with the utmost seriousness. The central government needs to understand the gravity of the situation and immediately procure vaccines from global vaccine companies.”
Painting a grim picture of the current status of the vaccination programme, he said at least 400 centres were made for the 18-plus age group, whereas 650 centres were made for 45-plus.“However, because of the mismanagement of Central government, the centres for 18-plus are now shut due to lack of vaccines. The centres that had Covaxin for 45-plus age group face a similar problem,” he said.
In a letter to Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan, Sisodia also charged that vaccination for the youth in India has been “messed” up due to policy “missteps”. “In spite of early advantages given by our scientific community and Indian manufacturers, we have squandered away the opportunity of timely vaccination of our people.” “The missed opportunity by the Government of India has resulted in the extraordinary loss of lives during the current wave of Covid pandemic,” he wrote.
Sisodia said US pharmaceutical giants Pfizer and Moderna have refused to sell vaccines directly to the Delhi government and have said they will only talk to the Centre. “Is this a joke? On one hand, states are asked to float global tenders for buying vaccines but the government of India has not given approval to those vaccines,” Sisodia said.
City received 1.5 lakh Covishield doses for 45+: Atishi
The capital has received 1.5 lakh doses of Covishield for the 45-plus age group, while there is no stock of Covaxin available for this category, AAP MLA Atishi said on Monday. Issuing the vaccination bulletin, she said the stock of Covishield can now last up to 14 days. “However, there are no Covaxin stocks available. If the beneficiaries, who got their first dose, don’t receive the second dose within the stipulated time period, even the first dose would be considered wasted,” she said.