Vax rates vary at tricity pvt hospitals

Naina Mishra

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 30

With no capping on the price of Covid-19 vaccines by the Central Government, there is no uniformity in the amount charged from beneficiaries by private healthcare institutions in the tricity.

While Covishield is being bought from the Serum Institute of India (SII) at Rs600, it is being administered to people for Rs850-Rs900 per dose (Rs300 extra from the selling price) at private hospitals here.

Covaxin is being administered at Rs1,250 per dose here, whereas the selling price from the manufacturer, Bharat Biotech, is Rs1,200.

How much is charged and where

• As per the rates displayed on the CoWIN portal, Fortis Hospital, Mohali, is charging Rs850 per dose for Covishield, while Max Medcentre and Cloudnine Hospital, Industrial Area, Chandigarh, are charging Rs900 each per dose.
• Fortis Hospital, Mohali, is charging Rs1,250 per dose for Covaxin, whereas Matsya Hospital, Zirakpur, is charging Rs1,200 for Covishield.
• Max Hospital charges Rs900 per dose for walk-in with appointment through CoWIN portal and Rs1,100 per dose for onsite in societies and RWAs.

As per the rates displayed on the CoWIN portal, Fortis Hospital, Mohali, is charging Rs850 per dose for Covishield, while Max Medcentre and Cloudnine Hospital, Industrial Area, Chandigarh, are charging Rs900 each per dose.

Fortis Hospital, Mohali, is charging Rs1,250 per dose for Covaxin, whereas Matsya Hospital, Zirakpur, is charging Rs1,200 for Covishield.

Max Hospital charges Rs900 per dose for walk-in with appointment through CoWIN portal and Rs1,100 per dose for onsite in societies and RWAs.

RS Bedi, past president, IMA, Chandigarh, said: “Private hospitals are being provided vaccines including 5 per cent GST cost. There are administering charges, cold chain maintenance, wastages, staff cost and reasonable profit cost. Another way is to put it on MRP, which will cover the purchase cost and other costs, plus administering charges to unify the rates.”

During the earlier phase of vaccination, the Government of India had capped Rs100 as service charges. At that time, Rs250 was the ceiling - Rs150 per dose of vaccine and Rs100 as service charge. However, no such capping exists now after the vaccination was made open for all.

This has led to vaccine inequity as people who cannot afford Covid vaccines at private hospitals are left in the lurch due to poor supply in government hospitals. Due to the poor supply of vaccines with state governments, the momentum of vaccination for 18 plus category has not picked up the pace. Chandigarh, for instance, has halted the booking of slots till new doses are received.

It is pertinent to mention here that the SII has reserved its 50 per cent capacity for state and private hospitals, while Bharat Biotech has reserved more than 50 per cent of its capacity for the Central Government.

Chandrakant Lahariya, who is an expert in vaccine and public policy, said: “The liberalised vaccine policy of India has resulted in a situation where the rich have access to 25 per cent of the total vaccine supply and the rest have to scramble for the leftover. The approach of sale of vaccines to private sectors on quota system needs to be revisited till there is a sufficient supply in the country. There should be a single vaccine price for all sectors – Union, state and private. Then, capping makes sense.”

“This time, the prices were negotiated by the government for both vaccines. Once we have more indigenous manufacturing, then it will be more competitive and the prices will come down,” said Dr Suneela Garg, member, Lancet Commission Covid India Task Force.

“We are charging Rs1,250 per dose for Covaxin, which includes 5 per cent GST on Rs1,000 making it Rs1,050 (landed cost) plus service charge, which makes it Rs1,250. For Covishield, we are charging Rs850 per dose, which includes 5 per cent GST on Rs600 making it Rs630 (landed cost). With service charge, it comes to Rs850,” said a spokesperson for Fortis Hospital.

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