20 May 2021 12:59 pm
There are reports surfacing that selling of COVID-19 AstraZeneca second dose vaccines at Rs. 5,000 each besides the Government's vaccination drive, the Government Medical Officers' Association (GMOA) said.
GMOA Assistant Secretary Dr. Naveen de Zoysa said told the media that since a limited number of AstraZeneca vaccines were delivered to the country, people are in a rush to get them have formed long queues.
In the meantime, certain racketeers have capitalized this opportunity to maliciously sell these vaccines. In that case, it will paint a very bad picture on the Govt's vaccination drive, Dr. Zoysa said.
"The vaccination programme is being conducted as per a scientific methodology and to an accepted procedure unlike the other ordinary vaccination. It should be rolled out following special procedures. Otherwise, the people who get the vaccine will not get the desired immunity," he said.
Several advertisements are now circulating in the internet about selling these vaccines for Rs.5,000 each and several conversations have been made over the distribution of the vaccine. It will plunge the country into a very critical situation, Dr. Zoysa warned.
Therefore, the Health Services Director General should pay his full attention and take immediate steps to stop these racketeering, he said.
"These vaccines are provided for the people free of charge, therefore, the Health Services Director General should investigate and find out as to how these vaccines have made their way into the hands of the racketeers.
The probe should include as to whether those vaccines have slipped out of the warehouses or from the persons who are assigned to issued them. All administrative responsibilities on issuing and handling of these vaccines should be entrusted to the Epidemiology Unit. They should also probe under whose authority these vaccines have been allowed to sell," Dr. Zoysa said.
The Health Minister's attention too has been drawn in this regard and urged her to conduct an immediate inquiry into this malicious racketeering, Dr. Zoysa stressed. (Chaturanga Samarawickrama)