Rajasthan stops fresh vaccinations in PHCs, CHCs

Earlier in the day, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare had said that, "There have been some news reports suggesting impending shortage of Covid-19 vaccine doses in Rajasthan. The factual position is that there is no shortage at present

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Tuesday attacked the Centre for sharing “incorrect” data regarding vaccine supply to Rajasthan, even as the state stopped the first vaccination doses at the PHCs and CHCs in some districts beginning Tuesday.

Earlier in the day, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare had said that, “There have been some news reports suggesting impending shortage of Covid-19 vaccine doses in Rajasthan. The factual position is that there is no shortage at present. Rajasthan has been supplied 37.61 lakh doses and has consumed only 24.28 lakh doses till yesterday [March 8] night.”

Later in the evening, Gehlot shot back saying that, “their data is entirely wrong. Till March 8, Rajasthan had received 31.45 lakh vaccines. Of this, 2.15 lakh doses were provided to the Army, and so 29.3 lakh doses were left to administer to others. Till March 8, the state had administered 23.26 lakh doses while 1.62 lakh had spoilt, which is less than the Centrally-permitted limit of 10 per cent. Hence, the state only had 4.40 lakh vaccines available on March 8.”

“With over 2 lakh doses being administered daily, the state only had vaccines available for two days, as of March 8. Hence, the state had sought additional vaccines from the Centre, following which 85,000 vaccines were received on Tuesday,” Gehlot said, “appealing” to Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan “to direct his officials to speedily provide vaccines and instruct them not to provide incorrect information about Rajasthan.”

He said that in the current phase of vaccination, Rajasthan alone accounts for about 22 per cent of the vaccination in the country. “Both the country and the common man here are excited about the vaccine. But the Centre’s incorrect statements will dampen the morale of state’s citizens and corona warriors.”

“It is being said that the Centre will be able to provide vaccines in 5-7 days, and so this might again lead to problems in vaccination. Considering this uncertainty, vaccination has been kept on only in medical colleges, district hospitals and private hospitals and we have been compelled to stop the first dose at CHCs and PHCs in some districts,” the CM said.

Talking to The Indian Express, Health Minister Raghu Sharma said the state has 87 lakh persons who fall in the category of ‘above 60 and between the ages 45-59 with co-morbidities’ and qualify for the vaccination in the current phase. “But the Union government considered only 67 lakh. But even for 67 lakh beneficiaries, you need at least 1.34 crore doses. And since there’s wastage too, we need approximately 1.5 crore doses.”

Earlier in the day, speaking to journalists outside the state Assembly, Sharma had alleged that the state has “been asked to slow down the vaccination.

According to figures for Tuesday, Covid vaccination in the state nosedived to 60,822 of which 39,986 were first doses and 20,836 were second doses. On Monday, Rajasthan had administered 1.9 lakh doses, which was also way less than 2.4 lakh doses administered on Saturday and 2.8 lakh on Friday.

So far, a total of 20.19 lakh persons have been given first dose while 3.6 lakh have received a second dose for a total of 23.38 lakh doses in the state.

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