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'Not allowed': Centre on Karnataka minister getting Covid-19 jab at home
The Union health ministry on Tuesday said that it has asked for a report from the Karnataka government. Meanwhile, the minister BC Patil, said his decision to take the vaccine at home cannot be considered wrong.
The Union health ministry has taken a strong note of Karnataka minister BC Patil getting Covid-19 vaccine at home. The video and pictures of health officials administering the vaccine at Patil’s home were widely shared on social media where people talked about the misuse of processes by the minister.
"This is not allowed in the protocol. We have asked for a report from the state government," Union health secretary Rajesh Bhushan said at a press briefing on Tuesday.
The minister's wife was also administered the vaccine at her home in Hirekerur, about 336 km from state capital Bengaluru.
“There were many people in the house and I would have to wait for around half an hour at the hospital is why I took it at home,” the minister told a local Kannada news channel on Monday, after the news broke out.
He added that there were certain privileges and his decision to take the vaccine at home cannot be considered wrong. Patil said that he had only called health officials home for the vaccine.
The news is being particularly talked about after Vice President Venkaiah Naidu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and many central ministers visited hospitto get themselves inoculated in the second phase of nationwide vaccination drive which began on Monday.
The development gave fuel to opposition parties in Karnataka to attack the BS Yediyurappa government.
“In this government, anyone can do anything they please,” said HD Kumaraswamy, former chief minister and leader of the Janata Dal (Secular) or JD(S).
Karnataka's health minister Dr K Sudhakar said that there is no provision for people to take the vaccine at home. He told reporters that the health department would issue circulars that would restrict officials from visiting the homes of any person willing to be vaccinated.
Patil had tested positive for Covid-19 in August last year.
