Delhi Budget 2021: Manish Sisodia announces free COVID-19 vaccine for all in govt hospitals

Delhi deputy chief minister and finance minister Manish Sisodia on Tuesday said that people of the city will get COVID-19 vaccines for free in all government hospitals. Sisodia, while presenting the annual budget for the fiscal year 2020-21, said that Rs 50 crore has been marked for this purpose. He also said that the government is preparing to increase the number of people being inoculated on a daily basis to 60,000. At present, around 45,000 are getting coronavirus vaccines every day in Delhi. Sisodia has presented the highest budget outlay to date.

The finance minister said that Rs 9,934 crore has been allocated to the healthcare sector.

“In order to get freedom from COVID-19, one can get vaccinated by paying Rs 250 at any private hospital. But there are many for whom paying this amount for vaccination is not an easy decision. They everyday found themselves in a situation where they have to decide between getting vaccinated or bringing ration for the family. In the 75th year of Independence, such a question should not arise in the minds of our citizens. This is why we have decided to continue with giving vaccines for free at our state-run hospitals,” Sisodia said.

#COVID19 vaccines will be available free of cost for people of Delhi in government hospitals in the UT, we have allotted Rs 50 crores budget for the same. Soon, per day vaccination will be increased to 60,000 from 45,000: Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia in Assembly pic.twitter.com/6V2GlFYpUT

— ANI (@ANI) March 9, 2021

He said that the free vaccines to the residents of the city will be given under the ‘Aam Aadmi Nishulk COVID Vaccine Yojana’.

The government has also set aside Rs 1,293 crore for the expansion of healthcare services. Sisodia said that the money will be used for renovating old hospitals, opening the new ones, and increasing the bed capacity of existing hospitals.