'Incorrect data, send your team for probe': Chhattisgarh Minister refutes Centre's claim of COVID vaccine wastage

Raipur (Chhattisgarh) [India], May 25 (ANI): Chhattisgarh Health Minister TS Singh Deo on Wednesday dismissed the Centre's claim that the state was reporting a high wastage of COVID-19 vaccines.
Speaking to ANI, Deo said the Centre created a new portal and was gathering data directly from vaccination centres and not the state government.
"The Central government has set up a different portal to collect COVID vaccination data. They are directly contacting the vaccination centres instead of the state government. And if the team at the vaccination centre fails to upload the data on the portal, then the Centre is stating that the whole lot has been wasted," he said.
Targeting the Centre, he said: "This is not how a government should work. They must acquire full information and should write a report if they have not received any information."
He further claimed that the portal is showing as high as 80 per cent of COVID vaccine wastage in some centres.
"They are calling it vaccine wastage without getting proper data. If the Centre government does not believe us, it can send its own team for a probe. Their intention is not right and these statements are politically motivated," he said, while suggesting the Centre should close the portal.
In a tweet, he urged the Centre to focus more on procuring vaccine doses rather than playing petty politics with states, stating that the government should do a better job in finding vaccine wastage figures and seek help from someone who knows math.
According to the Union Health Ministry, Chhattisgarh has wasted 30.2 per cent of COVID vaccines given to the state.
In an official statement, the Union Health Ministry said, "States have been urged repeatedly to keep vaccine wastage below 1 per cent, many States like Jharkhand (37.3 per cent), Chhattisgarh (30.2 per cent), Tamil Nadu (15.5 per cent), Jammu and Kashmir (10.8 per cent), Madhya Pradesh (10.7 per cent) are reporting much higher wastage than the national average (6.3 per cent)."
Meanwhile, Principal Secretary of Health Department, Chhattisgarh Dr Alok Shukla also said that the Centre's data is incorrect.
"Their data is incorrect. We have written to them already and we are working with them to resolve the data issues," he said. (ANI)