Private hospitals in Karnataka to henceforth raise vaccine indents directly with the Centre

The vaccine procurement policy undergoes yet another change

The vaccine procurement policy will undergo yet another change as private hospitals will no longer raise indents with the State government but go to the central government.

Dr Prasanna H M, president, Private Hospitals and Nursing Homes Association (PHANA), a day before the revised guidelines on India's Covid vaccination programme came into effect on Monday, held a meeting with Union health secretary Rajesh Bhushan and NITI Aayog Member V K Paul.

As per their deliberations, all private hospitals registered as Covid vaccination centres on the Co-WIN portal will hereby raise their respective vaccine indent with the Centre. So far, as per the indents received with the State government, private hospitals have demanded six lakh doses.

Also Read | Bengaluru vaccinates half its adult population

"Bengaluru alone has raised indents for 6 lakh doses with the state government, but there are 11 lakh doses allocated to the private sector in Karnataka. Now, private hospitals out of Bengaluru can also indent with the central government. All the indents raised with the state will go to waste as we have to raise fresh indents with the Centre's National Immunisation Authority now as per new guidelines," Dr Prasanna said.

"Depending on our previous vaccination record, we can indent upto double the number of vaccine doses. If, for example, we had administered 3,000 doses in the previous month or phase of vaccination, I can indent 6,000 doses. If I use 6,000 doses, next month I can indent for 12,000. The State government's role has been removed which is a good thing as it is an additional bureaucratic hurdle to cross," he added.

Electronic payments

"We don't have to rely on demand drafts for vaccine payment anymore. All payments will be done electronically. Also, private Covid vaccination centres need not anymore be only hospitals, they can be polyclinics too. We have also requested them to include general practitioners' stand-alone clinics to be included in the vaccination drive. They have agreed in principle," the PHANA president said.

On-site vaccination

When the central government had capped Rs. 150 as service charge, many hospitals felt it did not cover their operational expenses of conducting vaccination camps in corporate offices, and apartment complexes.

Fortis Hospital recently in a statement said, "Unfortunately, the cap of service charge at Rs.150 will not cover the additional costs incurred for such offsite vaccination camps which involve substantial costs like ambulance, transport, extra staff and doctor, plus TDS involved in many cases. We urge the government to consider a higher charge for off-site vaccination camps to enable expanded coverage."

Prasanna said, "The central government has assured that within a day or two, they will come out with the guidelines."