'Kejriwal wrote to government urging vaccination for all': Satyendar Jain counters Centre

Modi government on Wednesday wrote to Principal Secretaries of Health and Family Welfare of Punjab, Delhi and Maharashtra, asking them to improve the COVID-19 vaccination drive.
Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain (Photo | PTI)
Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain (Photo | PTI)

NEW DELHI: In view of the rising COVID-19 cases in the country, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal wrote to the central government urging to open vaccination for all, said Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain.

When asked about the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare letter to Punjab, Delhi and Maharashtra, asking them to undertake necessary corrective actions immediately for improving the COVID-19 vaccination drives in their state/UT, Jain said the Centre is doing politics over vaccination.

"Centre is doing politics over vaccination. We should fight the COVID-19 pandemic together. Centre was alleging that there was less vaccination of healthcare workers in Delhi. We can also say that there was less vaccination at Centre's hospitals. This isn't an issue, the issue is that we have to vaccinate more and more people soon," he said.

"The vaccination drive is going well in Delhi. We received some vaccines yesterday. We have stock for four to five days. We have demanded more and we will get it," he said.

Addressing media, Jain on Thursday said, "The Chief Minister had written to Centre that vaccination should be opened for all. We have made two more requests that vaccination should be allowed at least for all adults. Secondly, it should be allowed even at camp settings and not only at healthcare facilities."

Jain further said that out of the total vaccination done in Delhi, ''only 30 per cent to 40 per cent was done in the central government's hospitals".

He said instead of fighting the pandemic together, the Centre alleged that there was less vaccination of healthcare workers in Delhi.

"We should fight the COVID-19 pandemic together. Centre was alleging that there was less vaccination of healthcare workers in Delhi. We can also say that there was less vaccination at Centre's hospitals. This isn't an issue, the issue is that we have to vaccinate more and more people soon," he said.

Yesterday, Manohar Agnani, Additional Secretary, Union Health Ministry wrote to Principal Secretaries of Health and Family Welfare of Punjab, Delhi and Maharashtra, asking them to undertake necessary corrective actions immediately for improving the COVID-19 vaccination drives in their state/UT.

Jain also said out of the total vaccination done in Delhi, only 30 per cent to 40 per cent was done in the central government's hospitals.

Jain also informed that Delhi has COVID-19 vaccine stock that will last only for four to five more days.

He said the vaccination drive is going well in Delhi. "We received some vaccines yesterday. We have stock for 4-5 days. We have demanded more and we will get it," he added.

In view of the rising Covid-19 cases, the Delhi government has imposed a night curfew in the national capital from 10 pm to 5 am, starting from Tuesday. The curfew rule will remain implemented till April 30.

Delhi reported 5,506 new Covid-19 cases and 20 deaths on Wednesday. The national capital has 19,455 active cases currently.

Jain said the Covid-19 cases are doubling weekly. "The positivity rate in Delhi is 6 per cent. It is higher in urban areas and lowers in rural areas... The mortality rate is 0.4 per cent," he added. 

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