Islamabad
In another act of repression against the Kashmiri people, India has not only stopped supply of Covid-19 vaccine to the occupied valley but is also diverting the allocated stocks to other Indian cities.
According to a top health official of IIOJK’s anti-coronavirus operations, vaccine supplies from outside of Kashmir have been stopped since last Thursday, resulting into halt of vaccination in the occupied valley, which is currently under lockdown.
The designated vaccination centers in different cities of the valley are currently wearing a deserted look due to non-availability of vaccines, forcing the people visiting these centres to return unvaccinated.
Amidst this horrible mayhem and lockdown, Kashmir’s premier health institute, the Soura Institute of Medical Sciences (IMS) in Srinagar, too is without the vaccine.
Media reports say hundreds of people daily visit the hospital amidst the lockdown to get a jab of the vaccine but are sent back as the stocks have finished and fresh supplies have been blocked by the Indian government for last several days.
A senior doctor in the Directorate of Family Welfare MCH & Immunization said fresh stocks have not come despite the matter having been taken up with the Indian government.
Same is the situation in Kupwara where people have expressed strong resentment against the non-availability of vaccines.
“I have been visiting the vaccination center at Sub District Hospital Kupwara for the past four days but every time we are sent back unvaccinated,” said a youth who reached there with his old father to get him vaccinated.
A senior official at Block Medical Office Handwara said that for the last five days, vaccines have gone out of stock and the designated Covid-19 vaccination centers including DH Handwara, PHC Natnusa, PHC Chogal, PHC Magam and PHC Batpora could not carry on with vaccination.
The criminal attitude of the Indian government of blocking vaccine supplies comes at a time when the valley has witnessed the highest spike in Covid deaths and positive cases ever since the outbreak of the pandemic last year.
As many as 47 people died of Covid-19 while 3,832 persons were recorded infected with the coronavirus only on Monday. —APP
