Tamil Nadu launches free vaccines at private hospitals

In a first, Tamil Nadu on Wednesday launched administering of free vaccines at private hospitals using Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funds of corporates and private firms. Chief Minister M K Stalin launched the scheme at Kauvery Hospitals here as part of the government’s efforts to inoculate the eligible population at the earliest.

With lakh of doses that are allotted to private hospitals every month lying unused, the Tamil Nadu government thought of a novel idea to maximise the usage of vaccines at such institutions. It allowed private firms to use their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funds to sponsor vaccines to people at private hospitals.

At the event, CII handed over a cheque of Rs 2.20 crore to Stalin for funding the scheme at a private hospital, while popular restaurant chain Adyar Ananda Bhavan contributed Rs 7 lakh for the scheme. The state has so far collected over Rs 4 crore from various companies to buy vaccines from private hospitals that are unused and administer them to people free of cost.

The state has so far administered 2.15 crore vaccines shots of which 14.37 lakhs are from the private sector. Of the 17 lakh doses allotted for private hospitals in July, they have paid money only for 5 lakh doses.

Not just corporate and private firms, the government is allowing interested individuals to sponsor the vaccines to people who need them. The state came up with the idea to ensure that all doses that are allotted to private hospitals are administered to the people.

The Union Government follows a 75:25 vaccination distribution formula under which it supplies 75 per cent doses to the states free of cost and 25 per cent to private hospitals. Lakhs of vaccine doses at private hospitals in Tamil Nadu are not used owing to a slew of factors including its high cost, while the supplies given to the state government run out quite fast.

The state government has asked the Union Government to revise the 75:25 formula to 90:10 so that the state government can continue with its vaccination drive without any hindrance.