PRINCE KUMAR
Ranchi, May 4: State health secretary Arun Kumar Singh today landed in New Delhi to request the union health ministry for free booster doses of covid vaccine for the citizens in the age group of 18 to 59 like the senior citizens.
Singh informed this when asked about why there is only one centre in the Jharkhand capital for booster doses for the people in the age group of 18 to 59 though there is provision for payment of a regulated price for the dose while in Bihar, where booster doses are being provided free of cost, there are several centres.
“I have come to Delhi to discuss the issue. Bihar is providing it for free as the state has money to purchase vaccines, unlike Jharkhand. Very soon you will get positive information in this regard,” Singh said.
There are as many as 1.78 crore people in the age group of 18 to 59. Out of the total number, so far only 9237 have got the booster doses. Out of 9237, 2065 have got booster doses in Ranchi.
An insider said not only people in the age group of 18 to 59, people above 60 are also lagging behind in taking booster doses.
“So far against the 3250000 senior citizens, only 130560 have taken booster doses. The figure is just 4 percent of the total population of senior citizens,” the insider said.
