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 thepeople who received the COVID-19 vaccine in West Bengal'sPurba 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. Later, former TMC MLA Banamali Hazra, ZillaParishad Karmadakshya Jahar Bagdi and Bhatar Panchayat SamityPublic Health in-charge Mahendra Hazra also received thevaccine.

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

The Centre is targetting to vaccinate three crorehealthcare and frontline workers in the first phase for free.

At a meeting with the chief ministers on Monday, PrimeMinister Narendra Modi suggested that public representatives,a reference to politicians, should not be part of this initialexercise.

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

Even as the TMC leaders received the vaccine on thefirst day, several healthcare workers in the district allegedthat though they were asked to come for the jab, they couldnot get it.

A nurse at the Burdwan Medical College and Hospitalsaid that she was asked to report for the vaccination by 9 amand though she arrived for it on time, she did not get theshot.

Some other nurses at the hospital, refusing to beidentified, 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 national general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiyadescribed the incident as ''loot''.

''Corona vaccine was looted. The prime minister sentfree vaccines for corona warriors, health workers andfrontline workers. But in West Bengal, TMC MLAs and goons tookthe vaccine forcefully. Mamata Banerjee claimed that PM Modisent less number of doses, shame,'' he tweeted in Hindi.

Senior TMC MP Saugata Roy said it would have beenbetter had the party leaders not taken the vaccine.

''The TMC leaders and MLAs who got the vaccine aremembers of Patients' Welfare Committees of differenthospitals. So, they got it. However, it would have been betterhad they not taken it today. These are isolated incidents. Itwould be wrong to blame the party,'' he said.

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 the shot. I am notaware as I had not applied for any vaccination,'' Chakrabortysaid.