TLI Staff
New Delhi: Close on the heels of announcing to cover all citizens above 60 years of age and those in 45-59 age bracket with co-morbidities in the next phase, the government on Saturday capped the price of Covid vaccination shot at Rs 250 in private hospitals.
The government Covid Vaccination Centers will, however, continue to offer free vaccination for all with the central government bearing the full cost of the vaccination.
This second phase of nationwide vaccination program is all set for roll-out on March 1, 2021.
The role of private sector participation in the upcoming immunization phase would be widened going forward. Around 10,000 hospitals under Ayushman Bharat-PMJAY and 687 hospitals under CGHS (central government health scheme) can be used by states as COVID Vaccination Centres (CVCs).
States have been given freedom to use all private hospitals empanelled under State Government Health Insurance Schemes as CVCs. States can also use health facilities of all state-owned companies as CVCs.
“Private hospitals functioning as CVCs may recover a charge subject to a ceiling of Rs 250 per person per dose,” said an official press release from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
All the private health facilities which will serve as Government Covid Vaccination Centers have been asked to follow strict norms of due process, quality and safety including integration with the National Co-Win technology platform.
“All private health facilities must also have adequate space, adequate cold chain arrangements, adequate number of vaccinators and support staff and adequate arrangements for addressing Adverse Event Following Immunization (AEFI),” said the government release.
So far, more than 1.5 core vaccinations have been done and covered frontline workers including doctors, police personnel and cleaning staff at hospitals. The nationwide COVID-19 Vaccination drive was launched on 16th January, 2021.
States have been explained that the private hospitals functioning as CVCs can charge subject to a ceiling of Rs 250 per person per dose along with the electronic and financial management mechanism in this regard.