TMC MLAs, leaders get COVID vaccine on day 1, spark row

SeveralTrinamool Congress leaders, including two MLAs, were among thepeople who received the COVID-19 vaccine in West BengalsPurba Bardhaman district on Saturday, while many healthcareworkers alleged that they could not get the jab though theywere asked to come for it.District health officials said that these leaders areall associated with different hospitals as members of thePatients Welfare Committees, making them eligible for thevaccination programme in the first round.The vaccination drive at the Bhatar State GeneralHospital began with local TMC MLA Subhash Mondal getting thefirst shot.

SeveralTrinamool Congress leaders, including two MLAs, were among the people who received the COVID-19 vaccine in West Bengal'sPurba Bardhaman district on Saturday, while many healthcare workers alleged that they could not get the jab though they were asked to come for it.

District health officials said that these leaders are all associated with different hospitals as members of the patient's' Welfare Committees, making them eligible for the vaccination programme in the first round.

The vaccination drive at the Bhatar State GeneralHospital began with local TMC MLA Subhash Mondal getting the first shot. Later, former TMC MLA Banamali Hazra, ZillaParisha Karmadakshya Jahar Bagdi and Bhatar Panchayat SamityPublic Health in-charge Mahendra Hazra also received the vaccine.

At Katwa Sub-divisional Hospital, local MLARabindranath Chatterjee of TMC was among the 34 people who received the vaccine on the first day.

The Centre is targetting to vaccinate three core healthcare and frontline workers in the first phase. At a meeting with the chief ministers on Monday, Prime minister Narendra Modi suggested that public representatives, a reference to politicians, should not be part of this initial exercise.

''This is my personal suggestion and no one should take it otherwise. We public representatives are not part of it,'' he had said.

Even as the TMC leaders received the vaccine on the first day, several healthcare workers alleged that though they were asked to come for the jab, they could not get it.

A nurse at the Burdwan Medical College and Hospital said that she was asked to report for the vaccination by 9 am and though she appeared for it on time, she did not get the shot.

Some other nurses at the hospital also levelled similar allegations.

The district's Chief Medical Officer of Health PranabRoy said that the public representatives who received thevaccines are part of the Patients' Welfare Committees atdifferent hospitals.

''Since they are associated with the hospitals toensure good services, they are also eligible for the vaccine.

There is nothing irregular in it,'' he said.

BJP's district general secretary RamakrishnaChakraborty said that in the first phase the frontline workersshould get the vaccines.

''But the manner in which the TMC leaders queued to getthe vaccine, it has gone beyond all bounds of shame. On theother side, the frontline workers had to return home withoutgetting the shot,'' he alleged.

Trinamool Congress district spokesperson Prosenjit Dassaid that there was no wrong with the leaders of his partygetting the vaccine because they have all survived COVID-19.

''Officially, those who have survived COVID-19 will bethe first to receive the vaccine. So there is no issue ofpolitical benefit in it. The BJP does not know the rules. Itis their job to complain without knowing the rules,'' Dasclaimed.

In the Alipurduar district, TMC MLA SaurabhChakrbarty's name was on the top of the list for Covidvaccination. However, he claimed that he was unaware of it.

''I am not taking any vaccine now and I have informedthe health department. First, the common people of Alipurduarshould get the vaccine and then I will take my shot. I am notaware as I had not applied for any vaccination,'' Chakrabortysaid.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)