Virbhadra Singh takes Covid jab

Subhash Rajta

Tribune News Service

Shimla, March 3

“Have I turned 60? I still feel young,” quipped former Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh after taking the coronavirus vaccine shot at the Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital in Shimla today. The 86-year-old, who was vaccinated in the above-60 category, was at his humourous best during the entire process of the vaccination even though he had some allergic cough.

Even as he joked with the doctors, he was serious about the fact that everyone should go for vaccination. “I had no hesitation whatsoever in getting vaccinated and everyone should go for it. It’s for the good of us all,” he said.

The first thing he asked after getting vaccination from Medical Superintendant Dr Ramesh Chauhan was which vaccine he was administered. And as Dr Chauhan told him the name of the vaccine and the difference between Covishield and Covaxin, he was all ears.

Despite his advanced age and not being in the best of health, he recalled his old memories associated with the hospital, leaving everyone surprised. “He even noticed that the tiles on the floor were new; the building earlier had wooden flooring,” said Dr Chauhan. “The wooden floor was changed more than a decade ago, but he still noticed it”.

Virbhadra Singh told the doctors about his long association with the hospital, going back to his childhood. “He enquired a lot about the hospital and told us how he visited here for treatment during his school days,” said Dr Chauhan.

Virbhadra Singh was accompanied by his wife Pratibha Singh, who also took the jab. “It’s a preventive step and we all know prevention is better than cure,” she said.

And just before leaving, when a doctor, well above 6 feet, was summoned to check his cough, the former Chief Minster looked at him and said, “Itna lamba doctor,” leaving everyone in splits.

77 fresh cases, tally rises to 58,877

Shimla: As many as 77 Covid cases were reported in the state on Wednesday, taking the tally to 58,877. However, no fatality due to the virus occurred in the past 24 hours. The highest number of 18 cases was reported in Bilaspur, followed by 14 each in Solan and Sirmaur, nine in Kangra, eight in Shimla, five in Kullu and three each in Chamba and Una. TNS