Health Min responds to claims of vaccine shortage in Maharashtra, sets record straight

Coming down heavily on state administrations amidst the alarming surge in COVID-19 cases across the country, Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan called out political leaders and state governments attempting to shift the blame onto the Centre. In a strong-worded statement, the Health Minister asserted that many state governments have failed to take appropriate measures to curb the virus spread. The Health Minister also responded to the growing demand of making COVID-19 vaccines available to all, apart from the ongoing phase-wise immunization drive. 

Elaborating on the Centre's persistence of phase-wise immunization, the Health Minister reasoned that there is no option but to 'prioritize' vaccination until the supply of vaccines remains limited. 

"So long as the supply of vaccines remains limited, there is no option but to prioritize. This is also the established practice around the world, and is well known to all State governments. When states ask to open up vaccine supplies to everyone over 18, we must presume that they have done saturation coverage of healthcare workers, frontline workers and senior citizens. But the facts are altogether different," Harsh Vardhan said in a statement on Wednesday. 

Quashing the demand of state governments to open up vaccination for all, including Maharashtra, the Health Minister presented a streamline of facts and figures to prove that the administrations have been unable to vaccinate the priority groups themselves. According to figures highlighted by the Health Minister, Maharashtra has vaccinated just only 86% of health workers with the first dose and 41% of healthcare workers with the second dose. 

"Among frontline workers, Maharashtra has vaccinated only 73% with first dose. Equivalent numbers for Delhi and Punjab are 71% and 65%. There are 5 Indian states/UTs that have already done more than 85%. When it comes to senior citizens, Maharashtra has vaccinated just 25%, Delhi has vaccinated 30% & Punjab has vaccinated only 13%. There are  4 states/UTs that have already vaccinated more than 50%," Harsh Vardhan stated. 

'Inability of Maharashtra govt...'

Countering the Maharashtra Health Minister Rajesh Tope's claims of vaccine shortage in Maharashtra, the Union Health Minister said that these were attempts to divert attention from the Maharashtra government’s 'repeated failures to control the spread of pandemic.'

"The inability of Maharashtra government to act responsibly is beyond comprehension. To spread panic among the people is to compound the folly further. Vaccine supplies are being monitored on a real-time basis, and State governments are being apprised regularly about it. Allegations of vaccine shortage are utterly baseless. Throughout the last year, as the Health Minister of India, I have been a witness to the misgovernance and utter casual approach of the Maharashtra Government in battling the virus. The lackadaisical attitude of the state government has singularly bogged down the entire country’s efforts to fight the virus," Harsh Vardhan said. 

Further lashing out at the Maharashtra government, Harsh Vardhan said that the Centre has counselled the state administration repeatedly and provided all resources to curb the virus spread. He also took a dig at the shocking extortion racket under the MVA government which has now come to the fore. On the same note, the Health Minister also criticized the comments by the Chhattisgarh government to 'spread misinformation and panic' on vaccination. 

"I am constrained to speak out now because my silence should not be misconstrued for weakness. Playing politics is easy, but improving governance and health infrastructure is the real test. I would again like to stress to all States that the Central Government is doing everything it can to help them. India has the unique advantage of having talented scientists and doctors and hard-working healthcare workers," Dr Harsh Vardhan concluded. 

Amidst claims of COVID-19 vaccines shortage in Maharashtra - a state which has been witnessing an exponential surge in daily cases - government sources have said that over one crore vaccine doses have been supplied to Maharashtra till date. While the actual number of doses supplied by the Health Ministry is 1,06,19,190, the number of inoculations is at 90,53,523, showing a deficit of 1,565,667 doses yet in-hand of the state to be administered. ANI sources have also informed that the supply of over 7,00,000 doses has been initiated by the Centre and shall be received by the Maharashtra government soon.