PANAJI
Congress on Tuesday alleged a scam in the distribution of Ivermectin tablets and demanded a judicial probe on the issue.
"The government has purchased Rs 22.50 crore worth Ivermectin tablets for free distribution through all health centres using Anganwadi workers in the Goa as prophylaxis treatment for Covid. Chief Minister Pramod Sawant must explain to Goans where these tablets worth almost Rs 22.50 crore have disappeared," demanded Goa Pradesh Congress Committee President Girish Chodankar.
Girish said that none of all 15 health centres across Goa has received the Ivermectin tablets to date. Even some staff members of the Women and Child Department and Anganwadi workers appeared clueless about the distribution drive.
Health Minister had first declared on May 10, 2021, that the said tablets will be used as prophylaxis treatment and subsequently again on 17th May had announced that staff of WCD & Anganwadi Workers will be roped in to distribute the said tablets.
Girish said that there is a possibility that after Congress raised doubts about the side effects of Ivermectin tablets the government decided not to distribute the tablets.
Now, who will bear the huge cost of Rs 22.50 crores incurred on the purchase of said tablets, questioned Girish.
Congress had raised strong objections to the use of the said Ivermectin tablets without clinical trials.
Party has pointed statements issued by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and other experts from the medical and science fraternity who had openly warned against the use of these tablets.
Congress dared the government to reveal names of all those experts who advised the government going against the directives of WHO.
Congress also alleged that the home isolation kits distributed by the Health Department are short of medicines, oxymeters and other components, thus endangering the lives of patients.
