Rs 250 for per dose of Covid vaccine — Centre sets price ceiling for private hospitals 
Health

Rs 250 for per dose of Covid vaccine — Centre sets price ceiling for private hospitals 

Health ministry says private hospitals functioning as Covid Vaccination Centres can charge upto Rs 250 per dose in the phase 2 of vaccination drive, set to start from 1 March.

   

A health worker administering a Covid vaccine shot in New Delhi on 16 January, 2021 | Representational image | Photo: ThePrint

New Delhi: Private hospitals can charge up to Rs 250 for every dose of the Covid-19 vaccine in phase 2 of the immunisation drive that is set to start from 1 March.

“States have been explained that the private hospitals functioning as CVCs (Covid Vaccination Centres) can charge subject to a ceiling of Rs 250 per person per dose along with the electronic and financial management mechanism in this regard,” the health ministry said in a press statement Saturday.

According to the statement, Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan interacted with health secretaries and Mission Directors of National Health Mission (NHM) of states and union territories about the second phase of the drive through video conference Saturday.

The ministry Wednesday had announced that individuals being inoculated in the private hospitals will be charged for the vaccine. 

Second phase

The second phase of the drive aims at covering 10 crore people above 60 years of age and those aged between 4559 years with comorbidities.

In phase one of the drive, private hospitals served as vaccination centres, with the government procuring the doses.

The ministry said that it will be involving more private hospitals for the second phase.

“Around 10,000 private hospitals empanelled under Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY, more than 600 hospitals empanelled under CGHS and other private hospitals empanelled under state governments health insurance schemes can participate as Covid Vaccination Centres (CVCs),” the statement added.

The private hospitals will be provided with usernames and passwords for the Co-WIN 2.0 version.  

So far, a total of 1.5 crore healthcare and frontline workers were inoculated in phase 1 of the drive.


Also read: Nearly 1.3 crore Indians Covid vaccinated. These states are the best & worst performers