Ministers’ meet: Vyas objects to Azad’s scathing attack on states

Azad said,“We (Centre) can go up to a point. Do not expect us to go beyond a point… we are suffering for the last three months and you (states) are having ‘aish’ (good time).”

Asking state governments to shoulder responsibility “which they haven’t done”,Azad claimed that he had been trying to contact some health ministers and that they had not returned his calls.

“Instead of my chasing them,they should have been chasing me,” he said.

“Each state should have an institutionalised mechanism to deal with it (swine flu) and shoulder their responsibility effectively… I am not interested in figures. I want to know how many beds have been prepared,” he said.

Azad’s attack did not go down well with the Gujarat Minister who objected to his “use of unconstitutional” words.

To this,Azad replied that he was not naming any state and some states had indeed done good work.

“I am saying only some states had not done enough,” said the Union minister.

H1N1 test for Haj pilgrims

Devouts wishing to undertake the Haj pilgrimage will now have to get an inoculation certificate for swine and seasonal flu.

The Gujarat State Haj Committee has issued a statement asking pilgrims to get medical tests done for seasonal flu and swine flu. The medical certificate should be submitted to the authorities at least two weeks prior to applying for visa,authorities said.