Angered over promoting Covid vaccines at a revenue to non-public hospitals, the Punjab authorities on Friday ordered that the doses be returned with instant impact.
The authorities had on May 27 bought 42,000 doses of Covaxin to over 20 personal hospitals for Rs 1,060 out of the 1.14 lakh it purchased from Bharat Biotech at Rs 420 per dose. In return, the hospitals charged Rs 1,560 from the recipients for a single dose.
The authorities thus made a revenue of Rs 5.28 crore – by shopping for vaccines for Rs 3.20 crore, and promoting them for Rs 8.48 crore.
As the problem got here into controversy, Vikas Garg, the nodal officer for vaccination, issued an order asking personal hospitals to return the vaccines. “The order to provide one-time limited vaccine dose to the population in the age group of 18-44 years through private hospitals is not taken in the right spirit, and is hereby withdrawn. In addition, it has been decided that the private hospitals should immediately return all the vaccine doses available with them…”
Responding to the controversy, Punjab Health Minister Balbir Singh Sidhu advised The Indian Express, “Sometimes unsuitable choices are taken with none unsuitable intention. We will examine the matter.” He stated the quantity deposited by personal hospitals for the vaccines can be returned to them.
Sidhu stated that out of 42,000 doses given by the federal government to non-public hospitals, 600 vaccines had been given until the federal government issued a recall order. “The remaining 41,400 vaccines will reach us by this evening and tomorrow morning,” he stated, including that these vaccines will now be given freed from value to individuals aged 18-44 at authorities immunization centres.
The 42,000 vaccines have been a part of the state’s quota for individuals aged 18-44 with co-morbidities for households of development staff and authorities well being staff.
Government immunization facilities had opened vaccination to solely choose precedence teams within the 18-44 age group, citing a scarcity of vaccines.
The minister stated that non-public hospitals will now get the availability of vaccines straight from the producers.
On May 15, Chief Secretary Vini Mahajan had tweeted, “#Privatehospitals Max Mohali & @fortis_hospital have procured vaccines in #Punjab & started doing #vaccine in 18-44 years. Max is charging Rs. Rs 900 for Covishield and Fortis. 1250 for Covaxin. Please register on #CowinPortal to book slots in these hospitals.”
Mahajan’s tweet had prompted SAD chief Sukhbir Badal to name him the “brand ambassador of private hospitals”.
Speaking to the media on Friday, Sidhu stated, “It was wrong of him to tweet about the availability of vaccine in private hospitals.” He additionally stated that he was not conscious of the choice to supply vaccines to non-public hospitals.
The vaccine controversy has put the federal government and the social gathering, which is already mired in inner squabbles, in hassle. Minister of State Anurag Thakur and SAD chief Sukhbir Badal have already focused the federal government.
On Friday, Congress Rajya Sabha chief Pratap Singh Bajwa wrote a letter to the CM, demanding a probe into the matter and terming it as a ‘fraud on the individuals of Punjab’.
.
With inputs from TheIndianEXPRESS
