The Mamata Banerjee-led Bengal government has received flak after a video showing a Trinamool councillor administering a vaccine began doing the rounds on social media.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders slammed the Trinamool councillor Tabassum Ara for vaccinating a person, despite having no prior medical experience.
The video shows Ara at the vaccine camp in Asansol, about 210 km from state capital Kolkata, getting a vaccine injection by a nurse, as a woman sitting on a chair next to her awaits her dose. The video then shows the councillor giving the shot to the woman.
Initially, Ara claimed she had done a nursing course in school, and then denied that she had actually administered the shot.
"I did not give any vaccine. I was only holding the syringe in my hand. There are a lot of people who are hesitant of taking the shots," she is heard saying a video.
"While claims are being made that I administered the dose, I was just trying to spread awareness by holding the syringe," she added.
Babul Supriyo asked Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Twitter, "Seems like TMC govt has no control over its administrators. TMC's Tabassum Ara, a member of the administrative body of AMC, has vaccinated people herself and risked hundreds of lives... Will her political colour shield her from stern punishment? (sic)"
Asansol MLA Agnimitra Paul also slammed the party and the councillor. "TMC's manhandling of the lives of people knows no bounds.. A non-medical official, TMC's Tabassum Ara, member of administrative board of AMC, chose to vaccinate the people herself, in spite of doctors and nurses being present there... Is she even medically authorised to do so? (sic)," she tweeted.
This comes at a time when the ruling TMC in West Bengal is being criticised for a fake vaccination racket.
“TMC supremo and chief minister Mamata Banerjee plays the role of a doctor, engineer and scientist single-handedly. The party leaders are also like that. She (Ara) has just maintained the tradition of the TMC,” said Dilip Ghosh, president of the BJP’s Bengal unit.
TMC MP Sukhendu Sekhar Roy responded by saying, “If any such incident has happened, the state and district administration would have to look into it. But in our country, even quacks are being recognised. Do they have any certificate? If they can be roped into the health infrastructure, then I don’t think that hue and cry should be raised if a person, out of enthusiasm, gives the right vaccine shot. But yes, the one who is administering the vaccine should have the knowledge without which it could be dangerous.”
Several medical practitioners have also raised alarm, stating the receiver could develop complications if the dose is not injected properly.
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