Arvind Kejriwal urges Centre to increase monthly supply of Covid-19 vaccines

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. File Pic

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday wrote to Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan urging to increase the monthly supply of vaccines to the national capital.

In the letter, Kejriwal also requested that a uniform price be fixed for the vaccines for supplies made to governments and to private hospitals.

He also requested the Centre for the implementation of the Universal Immunisation program and to direct Serum Institute of India and Bharat Biotech to increase monthly supplies to Delhi to 60 lakh doses during May to July.

Centre should actively monitor and supervise the manufacture of vaccines by the private parties so that the supplies in adequate numbers are made to all state governments and this crucial aspect is not left to the direction of private manufacturers, the letter said emphasising for the requisite number of vaccines to enable vaccination of all citizens.

"The inherent fallacy and danger in the current mechanism is that there is an obvious incentive for private manufacturers to prioritize supplies to private hospitals over supplies being made to Governments since, under the current mechanism, they will earn more from the latter," he wrote.

He requested that the states should be allowed to develop separate apps or mechanism for vaccination of all citizens.

He further pointed out that there glitches in the Centre's CoWIN app, and asked for permission for states to make their own mechanisms for registration.

He also said that many people who are not tech-savvy may not be able to register themselves.

"As we plan to expand vaccination for the 18-45 age group, such glitches should not be allowed to deprive people of vaccinations. Hence, I request you to allows states to develop separate apps or mechanisms other than apps to manage vaccinations," he said.

Several other opposition leaders have also appealed to the Center for the same. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday demanded a universal vaccine programme for all and asserted that Rs 30,000 crore for vaccination is nothing for the Central government.

"Rs 30,000 crore is nothing for the Central government... There should be a universal vaccine program for all throughout the country," Banerjee said while addressing the state Assembly on Saturday.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray requested that states be allowed to make their own apps for registration.

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