Jagan urges Modi to reconsider vaccination policy

VIJAYAWADA:  Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to dispense with the supply of vaccine to private hospitals so that the entire stock of vaccines are made available to both the Central and State governments to take up vaccination of all eligible people. Jagan said the decision of Centre to allow private hospitals to directly purchase vaccines was sending out wrong signals to the people.

In a letter to Narendra Modi, the Chief Minister said making available various options to the public to get vaccinated, in both government and private hospitals would be a good idea only if there was surplus supply and availability of vaccines, where in anyone could choose any mode as per his/her choice or financial capability. “In today’s situation, where vaccine supply is limited, providing option to private hospitals, where in they charge an exorbitant price, is socially unacceptable and administratively difficult to monitor,’’ Jagan said.

Stating that several State governments, including the AP government, had decided to vaccinate people in the 18 to 44 age group also free of cost, Jagan said due to insufficient availability of vaccine under both channels of supply, currently only those who were above 45 years of age were being vaccinated in AP as they are more vulnerable.

“Due to the differential price offered to them and also the flexibility available to the hospitals to fix the price of vaccines, these hospitals are charging as high as Rs 2,000 to Rs 25,000 for each dose from the public. This makes these doses one of the costliest in the world and inviting criticism from general public,’’ he said.