‘More lives could’ve been saved if..’: Kejriwal slams Centre on vaccine exports

Addressing a press conference over Covid situation in the national capital, Chief minister Arvind Kejriwal said that the world’s first vaccine against Covid-19 was created by Indian scientists and the Centre should have vaccinated all people on war footing.

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday hit out at the Centre over its decision to export vaccines against the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) to other countries rather than inoculating its own citizens. He added if Indians were inoculated on time, the impact of the second wave of the pandemic could have been less and so many people would not have to die.

Pointing out that India is fighting a war against the raging pandemic, the Delhi CM said this is not a time to compete but to unite and defeat Covid-19. (ANI Photo)

Addressing a press conference over Covid situation in the national capital, Kejriwal said, “India delayed vaccination by six months. Six months ago, several countries started inoculating their citizens at a mass level. We committed a big mistake. Rather than inoculating our own people, we started sending doses to other countries.”

Kejriwal added that the world’s first vaccine against Covid-19 was created by Indian scientists and the Centre should have vaccinated all people on war footing. “We could have started this in December itself. But we didn't,” he further said.

The Delhi chief minister pointed out that the Centre should have ordered doses from abroad when the second wave started in March and alleged that states were told to make arrangements by themselves.

“I am in touch with several chief ministers who have been running here and there to get vaccines. From the past two months, every state is trying to arrange doses. And as per my information, no state has been able to procure an extra single shot of the vaccine from manufacturers. Exclude those which have been given by the Centre. States also floated global tenders to buy vaccines on their own, but they all failed,” Kejriwal said during the briefing.

Pointing out that India is fighting a war against the raging pandemic, the Delhi CM said this is not a time to compete but to unite and defeat Covid-19. Kejriwal also appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi by saying that all chief ministers have given up their politics and are working together.

“We will fulfill every responsibility alloted by you (PM Modi). But how can we do something which is not under our purview. Centre has to fulfill its own responsibilities. You (Centre) provide vaccine doses as per the requirement of the states, we will inoculate our people,” Kejriwal said at the end of the briefing.