Centre Asks Us To Conceal Lackluster Stock Of Vaccine In State: Tamil Nadu Health Minister

The state is now left with 1,060 vaccines that are available only in Chennai and so the vaccination drive has to be ceased in 36 districts for now

Tamil Nadu Health Minister Ma. Subramanian. (Image: Ma. Subramanian's Twitter)

Chennai: The Recent speech by Prime Minister Modi about vaccination to those above 18 has been bestowed praises from all sections, but the ground reality dishes out a different story altogether. On Thursday, Minister for Health and Family Welfare in Tamil Nadu, Ma. Subramanian while displaying the lackluster situation of vaccines available in the state, he said the Centre doesn’t want the state government to put out that information in a public space.

He said the state is now left with 1,060 vaccines which are available in Chennai and not in any other parts of the state. Now due to vaccine shortage in 36 districts, the government has to stop vaccination drive.

The Health Minister said that the state has received 11,63,000 doses of vaccines and 97,62,957 people have taken the jabs. The Minister said for the past two days they have been seeking vaccines from the Centre and the response they receive is not to put out the information of vaccine availability on public space. “Despite the Union Health Ministry asked us not to share the information on the vaccination availability we are intended to do it because we don’t want people to stand in queues without any information about the stock of vaccines. It’s better, to tell the truth,” he said.

According to the data reported in The New Indian Express, the arrangements are underway for the distribution of the 85,000 doses of Covaxin received recently. Of the 37 lakh doses allocated for the state in June, 6.5 lakh doses are expected to arrive on June 13.

The health minister appealed to follow all the Covid protocols given by the government despite the declining trend in the Covid cases in Tamil Nadu.