The BJP has accused the Punjab government of selling Bharat Biotech바카라s Covaxin doses to private hospitals, which were initially meant for free administration for the 18-44 age group.
Amid the BJP and other Opposition parties in Punjab accusing the Congress of 바카라selling바카라 Covid-19 vaccines issued to the state government for free administration, the state health ministry ordered all private hospitals to return their stock of the jabs meant for inoculating the 18-44 age group.
While the state health minister Balbir Singh Sidhu announced that he had ordered a probe, the government issued an order on Friday evening withdrawing 바카라one-time바카라 instructions to private hospitals to vaccinate people in the 18-44 years category.
The Centre also sought a clarification from the Punjab the government regarding the same, following media reports which states that the latter 바카라earned a profit바카라 by selling Bharat Biotech바카라s Covaxin.
Prima facie, it is in clear violation of the Liberalized Pricing and Accelerated National COVID-19 Vaccination Strategy, said additional secretary in the health ministry Vandana Gurnani to the principal secretary of the Punjab government's health department.
Meanwhile, responding to the charges, the state government said it will ensure that the recalled vaccine doses are administered free of cost.
바카라The order of providing one-time limited vaccine doses to 18-44 years age group population through private hospitals has not been taken in the right spirit and is hereby withdrawn,바카라 the new government note said.
바카라Further, it has been decided that the private hospitals should return forthwith all the vaccine doses available with them,바카라 Vikas Garg, who is in charge of Punjab바카라s Covid vaccination programme, said in the order.
Once they get their own direct supplies from the manufacturers, the private hospitals will also return to the state government the doses they have already used up.
The minister said about 42,000 doses had been allotted to private hospitals, and they have administered only 600 of them so far. He said instruction has been issued to all civil surgeons not make any fresh allotment to them.
Private hospitals will now get direct supplies of vaccination from the manufacturers. The amount deposited by them in the 바카라vaccine fund바카라 will be refunded by the government.
Till late evening, however, the Punjab government had not responded to the charge that it made a 바카라profit바카라 when it allotted the vaccine stocks to private hospitals.
BJP national general secretary Tarun Chugh alleged that the state government 바카라sold바카라 40,000 Covaxin doses at Rs 1,060 each out of the 1.14 lakh it received last month for Rs 420 each from the Centre.
He claimed these were sold to 20 private hospitals, which in turn sold them for Rs 1,560 per dose.
In letter to Punjab health department바카라s principal secretary, Union Health Ministry Additional Secretary Vandana Gurnani referred to a news report suggesting that the Punjab government was violating the Liberalized Pricing and Accelerated National COVID-19 Vaccination Strategy.
바카라As per this Strategy, the private sector hospitals are directly procuring COVID-l9 vaccines from the vaccine manufacturers," the letter said, seeking a clarification from the state.
The SAD, which had on Thursday accused the Amarinder Singh government of 바카라diverting바카라 Covid vaccines to private hospitals at 바카라hefty margins바카라, continued its attack.
바카라The health minister should resign immediately. He cannot escape responsibility,바카라 SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal said.
The BJP demanded action by the Centre against the state government.
The AAP called it a 바카라vaccine scam바카라 and alluding to remarks made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in another context said this was a true case of turning adversity into opportunity.
AAP leader Raghav Chadha alleged that the government did not administer free the vaccine doses received under the state바카라s quota but sold them off to private hospitals, making 바카라hefty profits바카라.
바카라This is a scam of thousands of crores,바카라 he alleged.
바카라We had heard that state governments generate funds to buy vaccines, but in Punjab the state government is generating funds from vaccines,바카라 he told reporters.
He said the health minister cannot evade responsibility.
Chadha said people now have to cough up Rs 3,100 for two doses of Covid vaccine at private facilities when they should be getting them free.
바카라The Congress is busy with its infighting, they are not bothered about people's welfare,바카라 he charged.
바카라The government itself is on ventilator now and they have realized that they are not coming back to power, and that's why they are indulging in as much looting as they can,바카라 he said.
BJP leader Chugh said a criminal case should be registered against all those involved in the 바카라vaccine scam바카라 under which the doses provided by the Centre for the poor, working class were 바카라sold바카라 at 바카라commercial rates바카라 to private hospitals.
They, in turn, 바카라made huge money out of it at the cost of the poor and the needy people바카라, his statement said.
All this has been happening when Punjab last month recorded among the highest fatality rates in the country, the BJP leader said.
Chugh said it was 바카라pure black marketing바카라 by the state government.
(With PTI inputs)