NEW DELHI: Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday said the national capital will get more drive-through vaccination centre in the coming days after visiting the first such facility in Dwarka. The vaccination centre at the Vegas Mall has been established in association with Akash Hospital where a team of doctors and medical staff of the hospital will be deployed at the facility.
The vaccine doses will be free for those from the economically weaker section (EWS) and a paid facility for other beneficiaries. Kejriwal also attacked the Centre over the non-availability of vaccine saying that there is an acute shortage of doses, especially for those between 18-44 years.
“The vaccination speed has reduced as centres have closed, not just in Delhi, but across the country. Ideally, this would have been the time when we should have increased the number of centres, but that does not appear to be the case. I hope vaccines are supplied on a war footing.” said Kejriwal. The first such drive-through centre was set up in Mumbai and drew a good response. Recently, a similar facility was opened in the neighbouring city of Noida.
The chief minister said that the lockdown cannot be indefinite as livelihoods are being severely affected and the government will have to see how much unlocking can happen. He also said that cases of ‘Black Fungus’ are increasing but the medicine required is not available which is creating problems. “If there are 600 patients, we need 3,500 injections daily, but are receiving only 400 injections,” he added.
Kejriwal also said that the Delhi government is in touch with the manufacturers of the Sputnik V vaccine but talks are underway regarding the quantity. The Delhi CM who has been asking the domestic manufacturers to develop dose for children, also said, “Moderna and Pfizer have declared that the trial for their vaccines is complete and that their vaccines are also suitable for children.”