Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Wednesday sought free coronavirus vaccination for those over 18 years from the Centre and said there should be uniform policy for citizens belonging to different age groups.
So far, Madhya Pradesh, Kerala, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Sikkim and Assam have announced that they will provide free coronavirus vaccines to all adults above 18.
In a series of tweets, Gehlot praised the Centre’s decision to vaccinate every person above the age of 18 from May 1 as demanded by the Congress. “Youths’ resentment against the Union government will increase on not getting free vaccine,” he warned.
The senior Congress leader said the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic, in which both the infection and mortality rates are very high, is extremely dangerous. “Patients are not able to get their medicines and oxygen on time,” he wrote. “Experts believe that a third wave of the pandemic may also occur. It is very important that everyone should get vaccinated as soon as possible so that these kinds of situations do not occur again.”
Gehlot also urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to stop his political programmes and rallies in West Bengal to campaign for the Assembly elections. He said Modi should instead focus on improving the medical and health infrastructure.
“Despite India being among the leading countries producing oxygen, medicines and vaccines, people are dying because of lack of these basic facilities...No other country has witnessed deaths owing to this reason,” the Rajasthan chief minister said.
Under the third phase of the inoculation drive, vaccine manufacturers can sell half their vaccines to state governments and the private hospitals. The Centre said it will provide vaccines free of cost for only the first 30 crore vulnerable persons. After that, vaccines will not be subsidised as they are being at present.
The Centre had asked manufacturers to declare prices for 50% supply that would be available to state governments and in the open market before May 1. The Serum Institute of India’s coronavirus vaccine Covishield will be sold at Rs 400 a shot to state governments and Rs 600 to private hospitals. The Pune-based company will sell Covishield doses to Centre at Rs 400 per dose once the current purchase order ends. Earlier, the Centre used to get it at Rs 150 each, making it the cheapest available option if one gets a shot from a government hospital.
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