The development comes after Punjab Health Minister while responding to allegations by the opposition about COVID-19 vaccines being sold to private hospitals by the state government for profit, assured that he will definitely initiate an inquiry.
Punjab withdraws order to supply vaccines to private hospitals after backlash
AFP
The Punjab government on Friday withdrew its earlier order of providing one-time limited vaccine doses to the 18-44 age group population through private hospitals after allegations by opposition of diverting Covaxin doses at hefty margins , sparked a row.
A brief letter - signed by Vikas Garg, the state-in-charge for vaccination - said the order has not been taken in the right spirit and is hereby withdrawn . Further, it has been decided that the private hospitals should return forthwith all the vaccine doses available with them. The doses which they have utilised as of date should also be returned, once they get supplies from the manufacturers, the order added.
Harsimrat Badal accuses Amarinder Singh government of profiteering from COVID-19 vaccines, slams Rahul s silence
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Last Updated: Jun 04, 2021, 10:09 PM IST
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The Shiromani Akali Dal leader levelled corruption allegations against Capt Amarinder Singh government in Punjab and asked if his visit to Delhi was linked to the controversy over vaccine supply in the state.
Agencies
The former union minister also slammed the Centre over its vaccination policy.
Former Union minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal on Friday lashed out at Congress government in Punjab over its order, which was later withdrawn, for providing one-time limited vaccine doses to 18-44 age group population through private hospitals and questioned silence of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on the issue.
Read more about Punjab withdraws order to supply Covid vaccines to private hospitals on Business Standard. A brief letter - signed by Vikas Garg, the state-in-charge for vaccination - said the order "has not been taken in the right spirit and is hereby withdrawn".
“A strange kind of politics is playing out in Punjab. The state continues to be affected by Covid. Covid management leaves much to be desired. The required level of government involvement needed for Covid testing is also not there in Punjab. Internal factionalism has been bogging down the Congress government in Punjab for about six months. The entire party and the government have been camping in Delhi for the past four days.
So who will care about the people? Disregard of the people at the altar of internal party politics is a big sin of the Congress,” Javadekar Javadekar said on Friday.