While the Congress-ruled Rajasthan government has been blaming the Modi government over the alleged Coronavirus vaccine shortage, an investigation conducted by Hindi news daily Bhaskar has found that around 500 vaccine vials containing more than 2500 doses were discarded in dustbins in 35 vaccination centres in 8 districts in the State.
During the probe, Bhaskar found that the wasted 500 vaccine vials were filled up to 20-75%. It has raised concerns about the claims of ‘vaccine shortage’ made by the Rajasthan government. As per the Union government, the state has wasted about 11.50 lac Covid-19 doses between January 16 and May 17. However, the state government has alleged that only 2% of the total doses have been wasted. In the investigation conducted by Bhaskar, it found that the rate of wastage of Coronavirus vaccine doses was a whopping 25%.
The wasted vials were recovered by Bhaskar, which will be handed over to the Principal Secretary of Rajasthan Health Department Akhil Arora. He has assured to initiate an investigation into the matter.
Vaccine wastage highest in Rajasthan
It was earlier reported Rajasthan had recorded the highest percentage of Covid-19 vaccine wastage. Reportedly, a total of 11.5 lakh doses of the Covid-19 vaccine, which amounts to almost 7 percent, was wasted in the Congress-ruled state. Questioning the sheer negligence of the Congress-led Government in Rajasthan, Union Minister and Jodhpur MP Gajendra Singh Shekhawat had slammed CM Ashok Gehlot for the vaccine wastage which contributed to the crisis in the state.
Though many districts in Rajasthan had reportedly wasted several doses of vaccines, the wastage rate recorded in Rajasthan’s Churu district stood the highest at 39.7 percent, followed by Hanumangarh, where the waste percent was recorded to be 24.60 percent. Bharatpur stood at number three after it reported 17.13 percent. Kota finished fourth with a 16.71 percent of wastage rate.
“The Prime Minister is repeatedly saying that wasting a dose of Covid vaccine is like denying a life-saving net to a person, but how can one improve those who have developed a habit of playing with people’s lives?”, said Shekhawat questioning the state government as to who should be held responsible for this wastage of vaccine doses. “This is more like a criminal act that cannot be ignored as it is a question of public lives. It is Gehlot’s responsibility to bring to book the offenders, or else let us assume that the Chief Minister himself is responsible for this,” Shekhawat said.
