Covid vaccine capped at Rs 250/dose in private hospitals

Price break-up

Rs 250/shot

Rs 150 vaccine cost

Rs 100 service charge

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, February 27

Ahead of the phase-2 Covid vaccinations beginning Monday for 60-plus people and those aged 45 to 59 years with specific comorbidities, the Centre today capped the cost of inoculation in private hospitals at Rs 250 a dose while it will be free for people visiting government facilities.

• Also read: 2nd wave? 1,200 cases, 27 deaths in 2 days

The government also listed 20 conditions (see box) to prioritise those aged 45 to 59 years for Covid jabs. The people with any of the listed conditions would need to get a proforma signed by doctors as a certificate of eligibility, which would have to be produced at the time of registration for vaccination.

The details were shared with the states at a virtual meeting chaired by Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan, who said more than 1.5 core vaccinations of health and frontline workers had been done in phase-1 that began on January 16.

“The states have been explained that the private hospitals functioning as Covid vaccination centres can charge beneficiaries subject to a ceiling of Rs 250 per person per dose. User names and passwords will be provided to private facilities for effective use of CoWin-2,” the Health Ministry said.

To expand vaccination capacities, the states can use as vaccination centres around 10,000 private hospitals empanelled under Ayushman Bharat Prime Minister Jan Aarogya Yojana, over 600 hospitals empanelled under the Central Government Health Scheme and other hospitals empanelled under state health insurance schemes. The government has shared a list of empanelled private hospitals with states. From March 1, eligible beneficiaries can self-register on Co-Win-2, register on site or attend state-led camp vaccination drives.

Meanwhile, Cabinet Secretary Rajeev Gauba held a review meeting with the Chief Secretaries of Maharashtra, Punjab, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, West Bengal, Telangana and J&K. These states have been reporting a high active caseload since a week.

20 health conditions for shots

• Intellectual disabilities, muscular dystrophy, acid attacks affecting respiratory system, deafness and blindness
• Heart failure, post-cardiac transplant; significant left ventricular dysfunction
• Moderate-severe heart disease, congenital heart disease; coronary artery disease
• Hypertension, diabetes; angina, kidney and liver transplant; end-stage kidney disease, HIV
• People on steroids and immunosuppressants; those with cirrhosis, lymphoma, sickle cell disease, thalassemia
• Diagnosed with cancer on or after July 1, 2020, or currently on cancer therapy

Those eligible for vaccination

• People aged 60 and above and those in the age group of 45 to 59 with 20 specific comorbidities
• Healthcare, frontline workers left out in first phase

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