Pune: Vaccine exchange plan lets private hospitals lend excess stock, get fresh doses in return

PUNE: The district authorities have now suggested a voluntary Covid vaccine “exchange programme” which lets private hospitals give their excess stock of doses to officials and get fresh vials in return.
Officials said if private hospitals agree to participate in the programme, it can can kick off immediately. They said the hospitals can expect to start receiving fresh doses from September 1. The units will also be given a certificate that acknowledges receipt of stock.

Many private hospitals, due to a dip in turnout for paid jabs, currently have substantial reserves of Covid vaccines (mainly Covishield). Officials said the exchange programme would tap this unused stock and divert it immediately to civic centres before they expire. The private units will be given fresh stock in return. It’s a free initiative; the private hospitals will not be charged any money, officials said.
Pune zilla parishad CEO Ayush Prasad, who is supporting the programme, said the plan will help regions that need immediate supply of vaccines boost coverage.
Pvt hosps can exchange excess stock for fresh doses
Prasad said, “We are making a genuine request to private Covid vaccination centres (CVCs) to provide their excess doses to the district administration so that our special and routine vaccination drives can be expedited. There is no money involved and it’s all about helping each other. Such a transaction has been done before. A few months ago, Pune borrowed vaccines from Solapur district officials. This time, it will be from private CVCs.”
Prasad estimated that private CVCs currently have more than 4.61 lakh doses in their reserves. It’s a quantity that could prove invaluable for the district, which now has thousands of people fast approaching the due date for a second jab.
Sachin Edake, district immunisation officer with the zilla parishad, said the details of the exchange programme are being worked out and guidelines will soon be sought from the state government.
“We'll start contacting the private CVCs once we get a go-ahead from the state government," he said.
Healthcare experts, however, said the district administration will have to convince private units that the initiative will not lead to loss of money or doses.
Sanjay Patil, chairman of the Indian Medical Association’s Hospital Board of India, said since the programme essentially involves borrowing of doses, private units may need some guarantees in return.
He said, "If the district has not been getting a consistent supply of doses, where's the guarantee that there will be good supply in the future? If the situation continues, the purchases by private hospitals will be at risk."