National daily Dainik Bhaskar has come out all guns blazing against the threats issued by the Rajasthan government and shed additional light on the vaccine ‘wastage and hiding’ drive allegedly undertaken by the Ashok Gehlot government. The newspaper on Thursday (June 3) published a follow-up report and exposed that not only were the life-saving Covid vaccines being thrown in the garbage but they were also being buried haphazardly, deep in the ground, across several hospitals in the state.
In some hospitals, the Dainik Bhaskar reporters found 80 per cent filled vials discarded messily in garbage heaps. The Bhaskar team then reportedly descended into a 12-feet deep pit to examine the vials that were carelessly thrown away. When the reporters quizzed the doctors about the vials, they simply remarked that ‘we buried them inside’ and pointed to the spots.
हे भगवान । वैक्सीन ज़मीन में ही गाड़ दी । अब भी शर्म नहीं आ रही राहुल गांधी जी ? pic.twitter.com/2LjTBBan5J
— Laxmikant bhardwaj (@lkantbhardwaj) June 3, 2021
राजस्थान सरकार ने दैनिक भास्कर को वैक्सीन बर्बादी को लेकर किये खुलासे के लिए धमकाया था, इसके बावजूद दैनिक भास्कर ने फिर से राजस्थान सरकार की पोल खोलने का काम किया है। pic.twitter.com/EryNP4C3Y0
— Mahima Pandey (@Mahimapandey90) June 3, 2021
As reported by TFI previously, in a report dated May 31, Dainik Bhaskar had exposed the absolute sense of apathy towards vaccines in Rajasthan, where at least 500 vials containing no less than 2,500 doses were procured from the dustbins of vaccinations centres by reporters of the media outlet. Responding to the expose, Rajasthan health minister Dr Raghu Sharma had called the Dainik Bhaskar report false and completely deceptive in nature.
Taking to Twitter, Dr Raghu Sharma threatened Dainik Bhaskar with action for its report which exposed the Congress government’s ineptitude to deal with vaccine wastage in Rajasthan. Almost dismissing all actual figures relating to vaccine wastage in Rajasthan, the health minister claimed the vaccine wastage in the state was merely 2 per cent. He also said all vaccine vials, after usage, are stored at the vaccination centres themselves as per rules.
दैनिक भास्कर अखबार में डस्टबिन में वैक्सीन मिलने की खबर पूर्णतः तथ्यों से परे एवं भ्रामक है। वैक्सीन वाइल्स का उपयोग करने के बाद इन्हें नियमानुसार सम्बंधित चिकित्सा संस्थान में ही जमा करवाया जाता है। (1/5)
— Dr. Raghu Sharma (@RaghusharmaINC) May 31, 2021
This is not the first time that the Rajasthan government has been exposed for its alleged lies and failure to put up a strong front against the second wave of the pandemic. Recently, an appalling development had come to light from the state where life-support ventilators belonging to the PM Cares Fund pool were being leased out by government hospitals to private institutes at exorbitant rates.
As reported by TFI, Bharatpur’s Rai Bahadur hospital had leased 20 of its ventilators provided by PM-CARES Fund to Jindal private hospital, citing ‘non-usage’ of the equipment. While patients and their aggrieved families were running from pillar to post to secure a ventilator bed across the Congress-ruled state, the Ashok Gehlot regime seemed more interested in profiteering out of the crisis.
Rajasthan government seems to have failed miserably in combating the virus. Instead of owning up its mistakes, it is still going after a publication that has merely shown the mirror to it for its glaring deficiencies.
People really appreciated the reporting from Dainik Bhaskar in exposing this huge vaccine wastage and strongly support them to stand their ground firm and not to fear with threats issued by the Rajasthan government.
Dainik Bhaskar, keep reporting the facts and people are with you.