Government's vaccine distribution policy has inequalities: Rahul Gandhi

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday alleged that the government's vaccine distribution has inequalities and is not fair.

"I have been saying that the vaccines should be procured by the Centre and distributed by the states.

"In the absence of a fair policy for vaccine distribution, the inequality in the Modi government's policy will give such results," he said citing a media report highlighting the inequalities in vaccine distribution.

The report claims that nine private hospitals got 50 per cent and six cities 80 per cent of Covishield and Covaxin stocks and alleged disparities in vaccine distribution.

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also hit out at the government, alleging a shortage of beds during the second wave of coronavirus and asked why did it not upgrade health facilities and instead is carrying forward the central vista project.

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"In January, when the Prime Minister was making false declarations of 'winning the war against corona', the number of oxygen beds in the country was reduced by 36 per cent, the number of ICU beds by 46 per cent and the number of ventilator beds by 28 per cent," she said in a tweet in Hindi.

"He ignored the advice to improve health facilities. Who is responsible," she asked.

She also asked why did the government ignore the advice of experts and from its own Parliamentary Committee on Health and did nothing to fulfil the promise of upgraded medical facilities in every district.

"Why has not even a single new AIIMS become functional since 2014, while the Central Vista project, declared an 'essential service' moved at lightning speed? Is the prime minister's vanity project more important than providing hospital beds to the public," she also asked.