A major political row seems to be brewing over distribution of COVID-19 vaccines to the States by the Centre.
The Shiv Sena-led Maharashtra Government has accused the BJP-led NDA Government at the Centre of ‘discrimination’ in regards to COVID-19 vaccine distribution to the States.
Briefing the media, Maharashtra Health Minister Rajesh Tope accused the BJP-led Central Government of not supplying adequate COVID-19 vaccines to the State.
“Gujarat has half the population of Maharashtra. However, Gujarat has thus far received 1 crore vaccines. But, we have received only 1.04 lakhs vaccine dosages till now,” alleged Maharashtra Health Minister Rajesh Tope.
“According to the latest release order of vaccines from Centre, Maharashtra has been allotted only 7.5 lakh vaccine dosages. While Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Haryana etc. have been given far more vaccines than Maharashtra,” alleged Rajesh Tope.
Interestingly, BJP Governments rule the States of Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Gurajat and Haryana.
“We need 1.6 crore vaccine dosages per month and 40 lakh every week because we are vaccinating 6 lakh people every day,” Rajesh Tope added.
Further slamming the Centre over its vaccine distribution policy, the Maharashtra Health Minister said: “Instead of supplying vaccines to other countries, supply them to our own states.”
“The entre is helping us but it is not helping us in the way it should,” he added.
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Not only Maharashtra, Odisha too is falling short of COVID-19 vaccines.
Informing this, Odisha Health Minister Naba Kishore Das said that COVID-19 vaccination process would have to be stopped in the State if the State doesn’t receive vaccines within 2 days.
“It is very important to get vaccines from Centre. If we don’t get vaccine within these 2 days, then we will have to stop it (vaccination). Our 700 vaccination centres, out of the 1400, have already closed. We hope we get the vaccines soon,” Odisha Health Minister Naba Kishore Das said.
“Right now we have 5.34 lakhs doses. We administer 2.5-lakh vaccines daily. So, our stock will last for 2 more days. We’ve written to Centre to send us a minimum of 25-lakh vaccines for 10 days so that we can vaccinate properly,” the Odisha Health Minister added.
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Notably, India on Wednesday recorded the highest ever single-day spike in COVID-19 cases.
India posted 1,26,789 fresh COVID-19 cases, setting another grim one-day record as the county battles the second wave of infections.
India’s total COVID-19 caseload now stands at 1,29,28,574, of which 8,43,473 are active cases and 1,18,51,393 people have recovered from the virus.
India also recorded 685 COVID-19 related deaths on Wednesday.