TN allows use of CSR funds to administer free vaccines in pvt hospitals

The health department has already received Rs 4 crore from various companies and the scheme of providing free doses at private hospitals will be launched next week

Tamil Nadu has found a novel way to maximise the use of Covid-19 vaccines allotted to private hospitals by the Union government. The state has asked corporates and private firms to buy vaccines from the private hospitals’ quota under their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funds and administer them to the people free of cost.

The health department has already received Rs 4 crore from various companies and the scheme of providing free doses to the public at private hospitals will be launched next week in Chennai. The government will also allow private individuals or firms to sponsor the vaccines at hospitals of their choice to enable maximum optimisation of the doses allotted to private hospitals.

The Union government follows a 75:25 vaccination distribution formula under which it supplies 75% doses to the states free of cost and 25% 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.

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“We will launch the scheme in the next five to six days at a private hospital in Chennai. Our only aim is to ensure that every dose that is made available to the state is administered. Private companies and financial institutions are coming forward to use their CSR funds to buy these vaccines and administer them to people,” Health Minister Ma. Subramanian told DH.

He added that a prominent hotel chain and a private bank based out of Tamil Nadu has approached the health department expressing interest in sponsoring vaccine doses in a few localities in Chennai and elsewhere. The minister said the hospitals where vaccines are sponsored will be asked to install display boards about the free vaccination prominently.

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The state has so far administered a little over 2 crore vaccine shots of which 13 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 of which 2.42 lakh have been administered.

Subramanian said private companies and private hospitals have evinced “great interest” in the scheme and are ready to join the government’s efforts in inoculating the eligible population as early as possible. The minister has so far met representatives from over 250 hospitals spread over a dozen districts across the state to discuss the scheme.