Amid complaints by several states regarding shortage of Covid vaccines, shocking wastage of doses has come to light in Rajasthan. An India TV investigation found that vaccine vials were dumped in garbage bins in at two health centres in Pali district.
When India TV team visited a vaccination centre in Kotkirana area of Pali district, it found over 100 vials of Covid vaccine thrown in a waste bag. Similarly, in Raipur as many as 50 vials were dumped as waste. Astonishingly, a large number of these vials were half-filled.
What SDM said about vaccine wastage
Pali SDM Rajesh Mewana attributed the wastage to 'unavoidable' reasons. "There are instances were the vial is opened, but fewer people come for vaccination...in that case the vial has to be disposed off leading to wastage of doses," SDM Mewana told India TV.
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Probe vaccine wastage: Centre to Rajasthan
Earlier this week, Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan had urged the Rajasthan health minister to probe reports of alleged wastage of Covid vaccine in the state on priority.
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India's COVID-19 vaccination drive is being conducted across the country since January 16. The government of India is working closely with all the states and union territories to make this drive a success and help counter the pandemic effectively, the health ministry said.
In a letter to Raghu Sharma, the Union health minister said a media report has highlighted that more than 500 vials of COVID-19 vaccines were found dumped in the waste bins of 35 Covid vaccination centres in the state which is "not acceptable" and must be investigated.
In almost all districts, vaccine wastage is more than the national average which is less than 1 per cent, Vardhan said as he drew Sharma's attention to some media reports about alleged high vaccine wastage in a few districts of the state.
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