Bengal got the highest consignment of Covishield vaccine vials in a single day since the National Immunization Programmes (NIP) to prevent Covid infections kicked off in the country on 16 January.

On Sunday evening, around 17 lakh vials of Covishield vaccine reached Kolkata and the consignment was transported to the state-run store at Bagbazar later at a time when a government doctor attached with rural primary health in the Purshura area brought serious charges of alleged corruption in connection with the immunization drive in Hooghly district.

According to his complaints lodged with the district health administration, a section of touts in the district health department is selling vaccines outside respective government vaccination centres in Pursura block at a time when common beneficiaries are denied of getting vaccinated despite prolonged waiting for hours in the queue.

On the other hand, incidents of trouble are also being reported from different vaccinations centres in districts. People are getting involved in the clash with representatives of administrations after being denied vaccines despite standing in the queues for hours at many centres.

Incidents of chaos related to Covid immunisation programmes at different vaccination centres in the city and districts are on the rise owing to the crisis in the supply of vaccines in the state. Earlier, troubles were reported at different vaccination centres at SSKM Hospital, Haroa rural hospital and several other centres across districts when a large number of beneficiaries were denied vaccines.

This made the deprived beneficiaries violent and aggrieved caused tensions in front of the centres. Police rushed to the spot and brought the situation under control.

During the end of July, incidents of violence between a section of vaccine-makers and authorise at the respective vaccination centres at several government hospitals like N R S Medical College, Baranagar State General Hospital and ESI Hospital at Maniktala were also reported owing to scarcity in supply of vaccines.

Trinamul Congress MPs had rocked the parliament in protest against the inadequate supply of vaccines to Bengal in July. According to the Health Ministry’s report on the state-wise distributions of Covid vaccines placed in the parliament five states including Gujarat and Karnataka have been given vaccines more than Bengal though the latter has higher populations than the former.