CAPT AMARINDER URGES PM TO CONSIDER FREE VACCINE FOR POOR IN PUNJAB

Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh is preparing to kickstart the process of vaccination of 1.74 lakh healthcare workers (HCWs) with 40,000 to be covered every day over the next five days in phase 1. He wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday seeking free vaccine delivery to the poor population of the state.

Captain Amarinder, while acknowledging the receipt of 2,04,500 doses of Covishield vaccine, thanked the Prime Minister for making this vaccine available on priority to the HCWs of the State and Central Government in Punjab. He earnestly requested PM Modi “to consider providing free vaccine to the poor population to lessen the disease burden and also ensure a check on the further spread of transmission thereby allowing more economic activity.”

Referring to reports citing some Central Government sources that besides the HCWs and Front Line Workers (FLWs) the remaining population may not be provided free vaccine, Captain Amarinder pointed out in his letter that “the people of the state have gone through a very difficult time due to Covid wherein economic activities have nosedived and the economy has still not recovered from this shock. It would be difficult for the poorer sections of society to pay for the vaccination.” 

The Chief Minister also said that all steps are in place to ensure vaccination of HCWs on priority, with FLWs to follow in the next phase. The state has adequate capacity for storage and transportation of the vaccine, he wrote and added that sufficient numbers of vaccination sites have been identified and all logistics have been tied up. Adequate number of vaccinators have been identified, and trained. Sufficient number of teams have been mobilised and trained to manage the vaccination sessions.

Captain Amarinder emphasised, “the Covid-19 pandemic has been an unparalleled disaster in living memory, and heavy expenditure had to be incurred in our Covid response” and further wrote that his government had already requested the Centre that the accumulated balances with the state in the State Disaster Relief Fund may be permitted to be used as necessary for Covid response. “The MHA may kindly approve this to allow pending payments to be cleared,” he urged the Prime Minister.

An official spokesperson meanwhile said that Captain Amarinder will go live on Saturday morning to initiate the process of vaccinating HCWs in the state, shortly after the Prime Minister launches it for the country.

The Chief Minister will kickstart Punjab’s vaccination drive from Mohali at 11.30 am. A total of 59 vaccination sites will be functional in phase 1. Since a specific number of vaccination doses have been received for HCWs whose details State Government have shared with the Centre, he himself will take the vaccine in the next phase, said the spokesperson.