JOIN USOdisha wants vaccine sharing be made 95:5 between govt, pvt hospitals
The Odisha government Monday urged the Centre to allocate vaccines between the state and the private hospitals in the ratio of 95:5 instead of 75:25 per cent as per the revised guidelines for implementation of Covid vaccination programme.
Stating that the government needs to be given a larger share by the vaccine manufacturers, the state government pointed out that the private hospitals provide health service to only 5 per cent of the state population. In a letter to the Secretary of Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Additional Chief Secretary of Health and Family Welfare Department, PK Mohapatra sought an increase in the Odisha governments share of Covid vaccine to 95 per cent and allocation of 5 per cent vaccine to private hospitals in the state.
Mohapatra said there is poor presence of private hospitals in the health care sector in Odisha. "For the state of Odisha, the government and private vaccine allocation ratio of 75:25 may be revised to 95:5 ratio, keeping in mind the ground reality," Mohapatra wrote in the letter.
In the guideline, it has been mentioned that 25 per cent of monthly production of vaccines by the domestic manufactures can be directly procured by the private hopsitals. However, till date, only four private hospitals in Odisha have been able to procure vaccine directly from the manufacturers, he said.
The Ministry of Health and Family in its revised guidelines for implementation of Covid vaccination programme on June 8, 2021 said it will come into effect from June 21, 2021 across the country. Mohapatras letter also mentioned that distribution of the vaccine to private health care sector may be handed over to the state government for subsequent mobilisation and allocation to private hospitals.
Odisha has so far inoculated 76,673 people of different categories like health care workers, front line workers, senior citizens, people above 45 years and those in 18-44 age group