DMK, AIADMK slugfest over Covid vaccine continues in TN

With Tamil Nadu health minister Ma Subramanian joining issue with the former chief minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami on the latter's demand to publish a white paper on the vaccinations conducted by the state, it has become certain that the slugfest between the DMK and the AIADMK over vaccination would continue.

Leader of opposition and former chief minister, Palaniswami had called upon the DMK government to publish or bring out a white paper on the number of vaccines administered by the government.

Tamil Nadu health minister and AIADMK leader, Ma Subramanian on Saturday responded to this by stating that the present government has already administered 1,12,90,767 doses of the vaccine while in the 103 days prior to the DMK took charge, the AIADMK government could administer only 63,28,407 doses of vaccines after the campaign was rolled out by the government from January 16, 2021.

The Tamil Nadu health minister also said that ever since the DMK government assumed office, the volume of vaccine losses was curtailed and that instead of the 10 doses that is mandatorily administered, presently 12 doses are being administered as the vaccine vials contain extra two doses.

Subramanian said that during the AIADMK government 6 per cent of vaccines were wasted and added that this amounted to 4,34,838 doses. The minister said that during the present government 7 lakh additional doses of the vaccine were administered and added that according to WHO guidelines there was overfill in a vial which can be more than 5 ml.

The minister also said that during the AIADMK government's period the then chief minister did not take the matter seriously with the union government and this led to the shortage of vaccine doses in the state.

The health minister also said that he would present a white paper in the state assembly during the budget session of the assembly on the incompetence of the AIADMK government in handling the vaccination campaign. With the AIADMK joining issues with the DMK, the budget session of the assembly would see sparks fly between treasury and opposition benches over the issue.-IANS