Delhi Dy CM Sisodia Blames Centre's Covid Vaccination Policy For 'Extraordinary Loss Of Lives', Writes To Health Minister For Reform

"In spite of the early advantages we have squandered away the great opportunity of timely vaccination of our people," Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia wrote after Pfizer and Moderna refused to sell their coronavirus vaccines directly to the national capital.

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New Delhi: Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi Manish Sisodia has written to the Union Health Minister attacking the centre for its inoculation policy while urging it to come up with a "coherent, transparent and effective" vaccination plan for all the citizens.  

This letter on Monday comes after the Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal reported that Pfizer and Moderna have refused to sell their coronavirus vaccines directly to the national capital, stating that they will only deal with the central government directly. Punjab too reported the same after its bid was turned down by Moderna and Pfizer.

Blaming Centre for the deaths during Covid second wave, Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia wrote that "In spite of the early advantages given by a scientific community and Indian manufacturers, we have squandered away the great opportunity of timely vaccination of our people. The missed opportunity by the government of India has resulted in the "extraordinary loss of lives during the current wave of Covid pandemic". 

According to him, the Indian government "abruptly changed" the vaccination policy when the Covid cases and number of deaths started "skyrocketing" towards the end of April 2021. He attacked the new policy, saying that the government allowed the two major vaccination manufacturers in the country to fix "illogical differential pricing" for the central government and the state governments. 

Highlighting the efforts of the Delhi government, he wrote that it did not waste any time in placing orders, wanting to procure 67 lakh doses of Covishield and Covaxin each.

"We sealed up the vaccination capabilities to about 5 lakh people a day. After placing the orders we have been told by the two manufacturers that it is the Government of India which fixes a quota for allocation to different states and accordingly Delhi received only 1,50,000 doses of Covaxin and 6,67,690 doses of Covishield and due to non-allocation by the government of India, we have to shut down the vaccination centres for people in the age group of 18 to 44 years w.e.f 23.5 2021," he alleged.

The Delhi Deputy Chief Minister added that they have been caught categorically told by all the vaccine manufacturers that they are dealing only at the level of the Government of India and not with any state governments.

"Delhi along with other states has also issued global tenders for procurement of vaccines every global tender by every single status bound to fail since the vaccine manufacturers are willing to deal only at the level of Government of India," he wrote.

Manish Sisodia in his letter has urged the central government to come out with the centralised vaccine procurement and allocation policy to prevent any further loss of life.

"Delhi is ready to pay for the cost of the vaccine. You have left the people of this country including Delhi in such a vulnerable position and made the states and the people to fend for themselves, he alleged.

The Deputy CM stressed that the union government controls the production and supply of vaccines by Indian manufacturers and it also controls the supply of vaccines by manufacturers from abroad. "It is high time that the Government of India comes out with the coherent, transparent and effective vaccination policy for all the citizens of this country including children," he wrote citing up the reports of third Covid wave predicted to adversely affect children.

Meanwhile, Union Health Ministry Joint Secretary Lav Agarwal while commenting on Punjab and Delhi being denied foreign Covid-19 vaccines said that both manufacturers Pfizer and Moderna mostly run on full booking, adding that their supply depends on the surplus they have.

He assured the Central government will surely facilitate supplies of these vaccines to the state level.