Tuesday, 20 April 2021 | PNS | New Delhi
States can buy Covid doses from makers
In a major decision, the Union Government on Monday announced that everyone above the age of 18 will be eligible to get a vaccine against Covid-19 from May 1, allowing States, private hospitals and industrial establishments to procure the doses directly from manufacturers.
In other words, the new liberalised vaccine policy will not be the part of the Centre’s nationwide vaccination programme that was launched from January 26 wherein healthcare workers, frontline workers and then those above 45 years of age are being given the jab. The decision to scale up the vaccination wherein State Governments, along with private sector will play a major role in providing the jabs, was taken in a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi who said the Government has been working hard for over a year to ensure that maximum numbers of Indians are able to get the vaccine in the shortest possible time.
“India is vaccinating people at world record pace and we will continue this with even greater momentum,” he said.
Under the third phase of the vaccination drive commencing next month, the vaccine manufacturers would supply 50 per cent of their monthly Central Drugs Laboratory (CDL) released doses to the Central Government and would be free to supply the remaining 50 per cent doses to State Governments and in the open market.
Manufacturers would have to make an advance declaration of the price for 50 per cent supply that would be available to the State Governments and in the open market before May 1, 2021, an official statement said.
Private Hospitals would have to procure their supplies of COVID-19 vaccine exclusively from the 50 per cent supply earmarked for entities other than those coming through the central government channel.
Vaccination will be provided free of cost to the eligible population as defined earlier which include Health Care Workers (HCWs), Front Line Workers (FLWs) and all people above 45 years of age at Government of India (GoI) vaccination centres.
The division of vaccine supply 50 per cent to GoI and 50 per cent to other than its channel would be applicable uniformly across for all vaccines manufactured in the country.
Dr. Ashok Seth, Chairman & cardiologist in Fortis Escort Heart Institute, President Asia Pacific Society of Int. Cardiology welcomed the decision as he tweeted, “ Vaccine for All’ is finally here, from 1st May all above 18yrs can be #vaccinated, decentralisation procurement by states directly from manufactures & incentives for vaccine manufacturers. This is a hugely needed boost for our fight against #COVID19”.
Dr Rahul Bhargava, Director-Bone Marrow Transplant Program, Fortis Memorial Research Institute, Gurgaon and Dr Nita Radhakrishnan, associate professor and HOD, Department of Paediatric Haematology-Oncology, Super Specialty Paediatric Hospital and PG Teaching Institute, Noida, echoed similar views saying that they had been constantly calling for vaccination for all and the Government decision will save a large population from getting infected with the Covid-19.
