Covid vaccine cost in private hospitals capped at Rs 250 per dose

Aditi Tandon

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, February 27

Ahead of phase-2 COVID vaccinations starting Monday for 60 plus people and those aged 45 to 59 years with specific illnesses, the Centre on Saturday capped the cost of inoculation in private hospitals at Rs 250 a dose while vaccination for people visiting government facilities will be free of cost.

The Centre also listed 20 conditions to prioritise those aged 45 to 59 years for COVID jabs.

These include intellectual disabilities, muscular dystrophy, acid attacks with involvement of respiratory system, deafness and blindness.

People with heart failure, post cardiac transplant; significant left ventricular dysfunction; moderate or severe heart disease, congenital heart disease; coronary artery disease; hypertension, diabetes; angina, kidney and liver transplant; end stage kidney disease and HIV will also be covered.

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The 20 specified illnesses include people on steroids and immunosuppressants and those with cirrhosis, lymphoma, sickle cell disease and thalassemia. Those diagnosed with cancer on or after July 1, 2020 or currently on cancer therapy qualify too.

People aged 45 and 59 with any of the listed 20 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 above details were shared with states at a virtual meeting chaired by Union health secretary Rajesh Bhushan who said more than 1.5 crore vaccinations of health and frontline workers had been done in phase 1 that began on January 16.

“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 along with the electronic and financial management mechanism in this regard. User names and passwords will be provided to private facilities for effective use of CoWIN 2,” the Health Ministry said.

To expand vaccination capacities, states can use as vaccination centres around 10,000 private hospitals empanelled under Ayushman Bharat Prime Minister Jan Arogya 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.

The Centre further urged states to ensure private hospitals selected as COVID vaccination centres have arrangements to address Adverse Event Following Immunization.

From March 1, eligible beneficiaries can self register on Co-WIN 2, register on site or attend state led camp vaccination drives.

Cabinet secretary reviews 8 states, including Punjab

Cabinet Secretary Rajeev Gauba today held a review meeting with Chief Secretaries of Maharashtra, Punjab, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, West Bengal, Telangana and Jammu and Kashmir to review COVID status.

These states have been reporting a high active caseload or an increasing trend in new cases in the last week. The states were told to improve testing, surveillance, monitor mutant strains, focus on high burden districts and ensure stringent adherence to COVID-appropriate behaviour.

India’s total active caseload today reached 1,59,590 which is 1.44 pc of total positive cases. Of the 16,488 new cases in a day, Maharashtra, Kerala and Punjab contributed the highest followed by Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Gujarat. Maharashtra reported 8,333 cases; Kerala 3,671 and Punjab 622.