A health official in Karnataka has been suspended for administering coronavirus vaccine to state minister BC Patil at his home last month, The New Indian Express reported on Friday.
The suspension order, issued on March 26, said that Hirekerur Taluk Health Officer ZR Makandar violated the protocol by allowing the minister to get inoculated at home, according to The Hindu. He was suspended for dereliction of duty.
The order was issued after a report was submitted by the health and family welfare officer of Haveri district. The officer said Makandar didn’t consult them or the deputy commissioner before giving the vaccine.
The Karnataka agriculture minister triggered a controversy last month after he tweeted photos of him and his wife getting the vaccine at their home instead of an inoculation centre.
Patil’s cabinet colleague, Health Minister K Sudhakar, criticised him for violating vaccination protocols. Meanwhile, the Centre sought a report from the Karnataka government on the matter.
Patil, while defending himself, said he had not committed any crime by getting vaccinated at home. “Why shouldn’t I take it at home?” he said. “What’s wrong in that? Have I committed a crime or stolen anything? I am also a part of the government. Hundreds of people wait to meet me daily.”
Patil added that the people would have to face inconvenience if he went to a hospital. Several ministers, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, had got their first coronavirus shots at designated vaccination centres.
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