In the third phase of the vaccination campaign starting from May 1, questions have been raised about the price of vaccines to people. Two vaccines Kovishield and Kovaxin are currently being installed in the country. From May 1, Indians will have to pay 600 rupees per dose for the Covishield vaccine in private hospitals. In such a situation, it is being said that the Indians who have been vaccinated in private hospitals will have to pay the highest price in the world for this vaccine developed by Oxford University and AstraZeneca.
Pune-based Serum Institute of India CEO Adar Poonawala had said that the company was also making a profit at the price of Rs 150 per dose. Poonawala had also called for a vaccine at the rate of one thousand rupees per dose after the exit of the first shipment.
He said, 'We have just given a special price of Rs 200 to the Indian government for the first 100 million doses and after that, we will sell it in the market for a thousand rupees.' Vaccination was now being given in private hospitals for Rs 250. There is a fear that now there will be no control over the vaccine price and hospitals will start charging arbitrarily.
The burden on people's pockets with the new policy
The Serum Institute of India has commissioned the AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine Kovishield. The serum has announced that it will now give a dose to the state governments for Rs 400. The price for private hospitals will be Rs 600. The serum gives the vaccine at the rate of Rs 150 to the central government.
In the new vaccine policy, the Center has decided that it will buy 50 percent of the vaccines from the companies themselves and the rest of the state governments and private hospitals will be able to buy them. According to the new policy formulated by the government, private hospitals will not get the vaccine from the central government from May 1. They will have to buy directly from the vaccine manufacturers.
Till now the central government was also supplying vaccines to private hospitals at the rate of Rs 150 per dose. In this, hospitals were adding vaccines for Rs 250, adding a vaccination charge of Rs 100. This arrangement was scrapped in the new policy.
The hospital can charge arbitrary price
Now, when private hospitals will get covishield from the serum for Rs 600, according to the calculations so far the price will be at least Rs 700 per dose. That is, those who have to take two doses will have to pay at least 1400 rupees, but given the way the vaccine has been moved to the market, there is hardly any hesitation in taking more money to the hospitals.
Serum CEO Adar Poonawala said, "The new price was fixed following the government's instructions. Despite the new price, Poonawala claimed Kovishield to be cheaper than any other vaccine in the world. He said, 'A dose of American vaccines is available in the private market for Rs 1500, while the vaccines in Russia and China are more than Rs 750.'
Opposition to congress
The opposition expressed strong opposition to the new price of vaccines. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi described the vaccine policy as demonetization. He said, 'Some industrialists benefited from demonetization and common people had to face problems. The same will happen with this vaccine policy. With the vaccine disclaimer hashtag, Rahul tweeted, "Disaster for the country, the opportunity for Modi's friends".
In this case, Adar Poonawala made it clear that the initial supply to the Center at the rate of Rs 150 will be 10 crore vaccines only. Its agreement has already been done. He said that vaccines after 10 crores will also be sold to the center at the rate of 400 rupees.