News Analysis India

Tag: Anil Vij

  • Over 6.27 lakh people administered Covid vaccine on International Yoga Day: Anil Vij

    By PTI
    CHANDIGARH: A mega anti-Covid vaccination drive was conducted in Haryana on International Yoga Day with 6.27 lakh people receiving their jabs on Monday, state Health Minister Anil Vij said.

    He had told reporters on Sunday that a target has been set to vaccinate 2.5 lakh people during this drive.

    However, in a tweet on Monday, Vij informed that 6.27 lakh people have got their jabs.

    “Under the mega vaccination day today, 6.27 lakh people in Haryana have been given Covid vaccine,” Vij said.

    He said that in Gurgaon alone over one lakh people had received their jab.

    “It is a historic day for the people of Haryana in the efforts made to contain the spread of COVID-19,” the minister said, according to an official statement.

    He thanked health department officials for their effort to vaccinate a large number of people in one day.

    Vij said that so far 76,59,624 eligible beneficiaries have been vaccinated in the state which includes over 10.32 lakh people in Gurgaon.

    Notably, people aged 18 and above are eligible to receive vaccine.

    He also shared that so far 5,56,030 beneficiaries have been vaccinated in Ambala while 2,76,061 beneficiaries have been vaccinated in Bhiwani till date.

    Among other districts, as many as 2,65,284 beneficiaries have been vaccinated in Panchkula till date while 2,73,029 beneficiaries have been vaccinated in Panipat and 1,97,691 in Charkhi Dadri, he said.

    The state on Monday recorded 29 more Covid-related fatalities, taking the death toll to 9,275, while 162 new cases pushed the infection tally to 7,67,580.

    According to the health department’s daily bulletin, the latest deaths include four each from Panipat and Hisar districts and three from Bhiwani.

    Of the new cases, Jind recorded 29 infections while 19 cases were from Palwal.

    The total active cases in the state stands at 2,337, it said.

    So far, 7,55,968 people have recovered from the infection.

    The recovery rate stands at 98.49 per cent, it said.

    The positivity rate is 7.87 percent, the added.

  • Delhi govt ‘looted’ oxygen tanker going from Panipat to Faridabad, alleges Haryana minister Anil Vij

    By PTI
    CHANDIGARH: Haryana minister Anil Vij on Wednesday alleged that a tanker carrying medical oxygen for COVID patients in hospitals, which was going from Panipat to Faridabad, was ”looted” by the Delhi government and said all oxygen tankers will now move with a police escort.

    Vij also said given the increased demand for oxygen due to a surge in coronavirus cases, Haryana can spare the supply for others only after the state meets its own demand.

    Interacting with reporters, the health and home minister, while referring to the tanker, said, ”Yesterday, one of our oxygen tankers was going from Panipat to supply to hospitals in Faridabad. When it was passing through Delhi, the tanker was looted by the Delhi government which is very wrong.”

    ”’If governments indulge in such things, then it will result in chaos,” he said.

    Vij said that he has now ordered that all oxygen tankers will move with a police escort so that such incidents do not happen in the future.

    ”But to take out gas from a tanker in this manner is highly condemnable,” he said.

    ”We will write to Delhi government officials about this incident,” he said.

    ALSO WATCH:

    He further claimed that pressure was being put on the state to give medical oxygen to Delhi.

    Faridabad in Haryana lies adjoining the national capital.

    The minister said the two neighbouring states from which Haryana earlier used to get the supply for oxygen have currently stopped it to meet their own demand.

    ”We also used to get supply the from Baddi in Himachal Pradesh and Bhiwadi in Rajasthan but the governments there have stopped the supply now” he said.

    ”In our plants in Haryana, I have deployed officials and police because we want to first meet our requirements. Pressure is being put on us that we should supply to Delhi. We have no problem in doing so if we have spare supply, but our first priority is Haryana,” Vij said.

    Vij said that given the pandemic is global everyone needs to join hands to fight it, but the state has to first meet its own needs.

    Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had on Tuesday urged the Centre “with folded hands” to provide medical oxygen to Delhi and his deputy Manish Sisodia said there will be chaos in the city if the stocks are not replenished by Wednesday morning.

    Meanwhile, on remdesivir, Vij said there are two depots selling the antiviral drug and a strict vigil is being kept so that no one indulges in its black marketing given the surge in demand.

    ”We have deployed drug department officials there and the movement of every vial is being recorded. All chemists have been asked to keep a record of remdesivir being sold to anyone by noting their Aadhaar card number,” he said.

    During the past three weeks, Haryana registered a sharp increase in coronavirus cases.

    On Tuesday the state recorded 7,811 new cases of COVID-19, its biggest single-day spike so far, while 35 more people succumbed to the viral disease.

  • DRDO to set up two COVID-19 hospitals in Panipat, Hisar: Health Minister Anil Vij

    By PTI
    CHANDIGARH: The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) will set up two dedicated COVID-19 hospitals of 500 beds each in Panipat and Hisar, Haryana’s Home and Health Minister Anil Vij said on Wednesday.

    The Army’s Western Command has been asked to provide doctors and other medical staff for the facilities, he said.

    “DRDO will set up two Dedicated Covid Hospitals in Haryana of 500 beds each at Panipat and Hissar,” Vij tweeted.

    “Work to start (on setting up of these hospitals) immediately,” he added.

    Haryana has registered a sharp increase in coronavirus cases in the last three weeks.

    On April 20, the state recorded 7,811 new cases of COVID-19, its biggest single-day spike so far, while 35 people succumbed to the viral disease on Tuesday.

    The number of active cases in the state is currently over 50,000.

    Gurgaon, Faridabad and Sonipat districts, all falling in the National Capital Region, have seen a sharp jump in new cases recently, even as some others like Panchkula, Karnal and Kurukshetra also added to the surge.

    Vij and Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar had earlier sought to assure the people on the COVID-19 situation, saying there was no need to panic and that the state has adequate beds, oxygen and medicines available.

  • Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar rules out coronavirus lockdown in state

    By PTI

    CHANDIGARH: Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar and Home Minister Anil Vij on Tuesday reached out to migrant workers, ruling out the imposition of a coronavirus lockdown in the state and told them to continue with their work without worrying about it.

    Their assurance has come amid apprehensions that the state government may impose a lockdown to check the spread of coronavirus. “We have said we will not impose a lockdown. We want to assure them on this,” Khattar said in his televised address to the people of the state.

    The chief minister said if migrant workers head home on the basis of mere “apprehensions”, they will lose work and a new phase of difficulties will start for them. “So, they should not entertain any worry and continue with their work,” he said.

    Meanwhile interacting with reporters, Vij reiterated that the state is not imposing any lockdown. He asked migrant workers not to pay heed to “any propaganda” and said they should continue to work like before. “I have asked the industry to run at full capacity. I have told them that COVID protocols should be followed in factories,” said Vij.

    ALSO READ| Protesting farmers to be tested, vaccinated against COVID-19 in Haryana, says Anil Vij

    A migrant worker in Haryana’s Bahadurgarh, who along with few others was going to catch a bus to UP, told reporters that many workers were apprehending the imposition of a lockdown like Delhi. “As Delhi has imposed a lockdown, what if Haryana follows suit? If that happens, we will lose work. In that situation, we are better off at our homes,” he said.

    Vij said that Haryana’s three districts–Gurgaon, Faridabad and Sonipat–were contributing half of active cases in the state. With Gurgaon witnessing a sharp rise in coronavirus cases this month, Vij said 800 additional beds are being provided in the district so that people do not face any difficulty, he said on Tuesday.

    To a question, Vij said many patients from Delhi could be seeking treatment in Haryana’s NCR districts and added that they will treat every patient coming to the state. Vij reiterated that he has ordered testing and vaccination of all farmers sitting on Haryana’s borders with Delhi.

    “Today, I spoke to deputy commissioners of Sonipat and Jhajjar to talk to farmer leaders in this regard so that this process could be speeded up,” said Vij, who is also the state’s Health Minister. Meanwhile, on the prevailing COVID situation, Khattar said, “We are passing through a difficult phase.”

    Various departments are putting in best efforts to ensure people do not face any problem, he said, assuring people on the availability of beds, oxygen, ventilators and medicines. To further augment oxygen availability, we are taking steps, he said.

    ALSO READ| Haryana to test pilgrims from Haridwar Kumbh, protesting farmers for COVID-19

    He said that of 2,131 oxygen beds, 731 are occupied by coronavirus patients while of 1,080 ventilators available, 131 are in use. He further said 526 COVID centres having 45,000 beds are currently available. There is no need to panic, he stressed and urged people to follow all COVID-related guidelines.

    Khattar informed that the state has arrangements for conducting 40,000 tests per day, which it intends to scale up to 70,000 tests a day soon. Private hospitals will charge Rs 500 for testing and Rs 600 for the collection of samples from home, he informed.

  • Protesting farmers to be tested, vaccinated against COVID-19 in Haryana, says Anil Vij

    By ANI
    CHANDIGARH: Expressing concern for farmers, who have been protesting against the central agricultural laws at Delhi-Haryana borders, Haryana Health Minister Anil Vij on Tuesday said they will be tested for COVID-19 and vaccinated against it.

    “It is my duty to worry about everyone in Haryana. Farmers are protesting here in large numbers. We have decided to vaccinate them and get them tested for COVID-19. Yesterday, we had a meeting with state-level corona monitoring committee, wherein we took this decision,” Vij told ANI.

    The Minister further informed that he had talked to Deputy Commissioner of Sonipat and Jhajjar, about the vaccination and testing of farmers protesting at the border.

    Earlier, Vij had said the state will work on the guidelines given by the Prime Minister, but he is concerned about how to protect the protesting farmers at the Haryana border from COVID-19.

    He had participated in a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi regarding COVID-19 situation on Thursday evening.

    “We will work on the guidelines given by the Prime Minister. But my concern is to protect the farmers from the coronavirus, who have gathered at the border of Haryana. I have to save them from the COVID-19,” he had said.

    Haryana reported 3,146 new COVID-19 cases and 33 related deaths in the past 24 hours, said the state health ministry.

    Farmers have been protesting at different borders of the national capital since November 26 last year against the three farm laws: Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020; the Farmers Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and farm Services Act 2020 and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020.

  • Haryana to test pilgrims from Haridwar Kumbh, protesting farmers for COVID-19

    By PTI
    CHANDIGARH: Haryana Home Minister Anil Vij on Monday said the pilgrims returning from the Haridwar Kumbh and the farmers protesting at the state borders with Delhi will be tested for coronavirus.

    Vij, who is also the Haryana health minister, reiterated that the state is not imposing any lockdown. He asked migrant workers not to pay heed to “any propaganda” and said they should continue to work like before.

    Though there is a possibility that many patients have come to the state from Delhi to get treatment here, they will treat everyone, the minister said, assuring people that the state Health Department has sufficient quantity of oxygen, beds and medicines.

    Vij told reporters after chairing a meeting of the state-level monitoring panel that the coronavirus testing of the pilgrims returning from the Haridwar Kumbh at all entry points has been made mandatory. The farmers sitting at Haryana’s borders with Delhi will be tested and vaccinated, for which health teams have been constituted, the minister said.

    In the past a few days, Haryana has seen a surge in infections, with over 6,000 to 7,000 cases being reported daily. Vij said that Haryana’s over 42,000 active cases currently are from Gurgaon, Faridabad and Sonipat, the districts adjoining Delhi.

    He said elective surgeries in all hospitals will be stopped from Tuesday. “We need more doctors at this juncture as many of them will be visiting COVID patients, who are being treated in home isolation,” Vij said.

    He said the state-level monitoring committee reviewed the situation currently prevailing with regard to availability of beds, oxygen supply and medicine availability. He said  that of the total active cases, around 30,000 are getting treatment in home isolation. “In every two days, our doctors will examine them and give them kits, necessary medicines and oximeters,” he said.

    “We have sufficient quantities of medicine and oxygen. As against our present requirement of 60 metric tonnes, we have 270 MT of oxygen available,” he said. Vij said the drug and police departments will ensure that there is no black marketing or scarcity of medical oxygen at hospital.

    Replying to a question, he said all private facilities have been directed that any patient reporting virus-like symptoms should be tested for COVID. For any kind of religious, political or social gatherings, guidelines will have to be strictly followed.

    Only 50 people will be allowed at an indoor event while the number has been put at 200 for outdoor programmes, he said, adding that large gatherings will not be allowed. Coronavirus care centres for critical patients will be set up in all medical colleges.

    On Remdesivir drug, he said, “We have sufficient quantity available.” He said the state-level monitoring committee will check if there is any black marketing of Remdesivir. “We will ensure that private facilities also get sufficient quantities of Remdesivir,” he said.

  • My concern is to protect farmers from COVID-19 at Haryana border: Anil Vij

    By ANI
    AMBALA: Haryana Home and Health Minister Anil Vij on Friday said the state will work on the guidelines given by the Prime Minister, but he is concerned about how to protect the protesting farmers at the Haryana border from COVID-19.

    Vij participated in a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi regarding COVID-19 situation on Thursday evening.

    “We will work on the guidelines given by the Prime Minister. But my concern is to protect the farmers from the coronavirus, who have gathered at the border of Haryana. I have to save them from the COVID-19,” said the minister.

    Vij also said soon he will write a letter to the Agriculture Minister for restarting the conversation between the farmers and the government.

    “I am also going to write a letter to the Union Agriculture Minister if the conversation between farmers and government can be started again and the gathering can be removed from here,” said Vij.

    “I believe all the problems can be solved by negotiation,” he added.

    PM Modi on Thursday said a challenging situation was emerging again due to COVID-19 and urged states to ramp up testing.

    Chairing a meeting with chief ministers over the COVID-19 situation in the country, he said many states including Maharashtra, Gujarat, Chhattisgarh, Punjab had crossed the peak of the first wave in terms of COVID-19 cases and it was a matter of serious concern. (ANI)

  • COVID-19: Minister Anil Vij says aim to vaccinate 35 lakh in Haryana by April end

    By ANI
    CHANDIGARH: Haryana Health Minister, Anil Vij said that by the end of this month, efforts will be made to vaccinate about 35 lakh people in the state. So far, about 21 lakh people have been vaccinated for Covid-19 in Haryana.

    Apprising Union Health Minister, Dr Harsh Vardhan during a review meeting of 11 states, Vij on Tuesday said that the State will take all necessary measures to control the second wave of Covid-19.

    He said that at present there are 13,000 active cases in Haryana and about 25,000 tests are conducted daily and the positive rate is about 4.7 per cent.

    “We are trying to increase testing further in the state”, he added.

    Vij said that 35 labs, with a capacity of conducting 92,000 tests per day, for Covid-19 are functional in the state. He said that there is an adequate number of isolation wards, ventilators, general beds, oxygen-equipped beds, ICUs, medicines and equipment in the state.

    He requested the Union Health Minister that the reports of samples sent by the state government for investigation should be sent soon so that new strains can be detected and treated accordingly.

    Along with this, he said that if a new protocol for treatment has been prepared by the Central Government, then it should also be shared with the states soon.

    Earlier, during a meeting chaired by Vij, he directed the officers connected with the health services of the state to start Covid-19 hospitals again in the state as per the requirement.

    For this, they have been asked to inspect such hospitals in the next three-four days and notify them. The hospitals will also be listed on the portal of the department. He said that adequate stock of PPE kits, masks, medicines and other essential items will be kept in the state.

    Meanwhile, Vardhan chaired a high-level review meeting on Tuesday with Health Ministers, Additional Chief Secretaries and Principal Secretaries (Health) of States/UTs of Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Punjab and Rajasthan.

    These states have been reporting a very high rise in daily cases and daily mortality because of COVID-19 in the last two weeks.

  • Haryana bans public celebrations on Holi as COVID cases swell

    By PTI
    CHANDIGARH: The Haryana government on Wednesday banned public celebrations of upcoming Holi festival in the wake of the rise in the number of coronavirus cases in the recent weeks.

    During the past few days, Haryana has been reporting over 800 new cases daily.

    “The Haryana government has banned public celebrations of Holi in view of (rise in number of cases of) corona,” Home and Health Minister Anil Vij said in a tweet.

    The state reported six COVID-19 fatalities on Wednesday, taking the death toll to 3,110 and the tally to 2,82,569 with 981 fresh cases, a health department bulletin said.

     While two deaths were from Ambala, a fatality each was reported from Gurgaon, Faridabad, Hisar and Jind districts.

    Among the districts to report fresh cases included Gurgaon (186), Karnal (126), Ambala (146)  and Panchkula (95).

    The number of active cases in the state were 6,745.

    The recovery rate was 96.51 per cent, according to the bulletin.

    Among the worst-hit districts which are witnessing a surge in cases include Gurugram, Karnal, Ambala and Panchkula.

    This year, Holi falls on March 29.

  • India not a dharamshala; info about Rohingyas in state being gathered: Haryana minister Anil Vij

    By PTI
    AMBALA: Home Minister Anil Vij on Friday said information about Rohingyas living in Haryana was being gathered, adding that India was “not a dharamshala” that anyone could come and settle in the country.

    The remarks came days after authorities in Jammu sent 168 Rohingyas to jail after they were allegedly found living in the city illegally, officials had said.

    Many Rohingya refugees have settled in Jammu, Hyderabad, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and the National Capital Region, while some reports suggest their presence in Mewat, Haryana.

    “We are gathering information about them,” Vij told reporters.

    “Our country is not a dharamshala that anyone will get up and start living here if he so feels like,” Vij said.

    Incidentally, a plea has been filed in the Supreme Court seeking immediate release of the detained Rohingya refugees in Jammu and restrain the Centre from implementing any order deporting them.

    Meanwhile, asked about the surge in coronavirus cases, Vij, who also holds the health portfolio, said he directed strict enforcement of all COVID protocols in the state.