New Delhi: Punjab government is under fire for allegedly selling Covid-19 vaccine doses to private hospitals and generating hefty profits out of it. Punjab govt procured Covaxin at Rs 420/- and sold it to private hospitals at Rs 1,060 per dose.
The vaccines, which were acquired by Captain Amarinder Singh govt for inoculating people between 18-44 preferably with co-morbidities, were apparently sold to private hospitals, thus depriving the poor of their change of vaccination. These hospitals are now selling vaccines at a spiked price of Rs 1,560/-. Alleging racketing in vaccine drop, SAD chief has demanded a high-level probe.
Meanwhile, the Centre has taken cognizance of the matter and asked Punjab government to give clarification on reports that it was ‘earning’ Rs 600 per dose in the process.
Punjab govt under fire for ‘making money from vaccines’
Akali Dal supremo Sukhbir Singh Badal apparently brought the matter to light as he accused the Punjab govt of selling vaccines procured at Rs 400/dose to private hospitals for Rs 1060, who are charging people Rs 1560/dose.
.@Akali_Dal_ demands a high court probe into diversion of vaccines to private players at hefty margins to create artificial shortage. Vaccines procured @ Rs 400 /dose sold to private hosp for Rs 1060 and are available to common man at Rs 1560. This is a scam @drharshvardhan.1/4 pic.twitter.com/g8QGqAimcG
— Sukhbir Singh Badal (@officeofssbadal) June 3, 2021
Out of 1.14 lakh Covaxin doses Punjab received on May 27, Punjab government sold 40000 doses, procured at Rs 420 per dose, to over 20 private hospitals for Rs 1060 per dose and the private hospitals in turn reportedly fixed the rate to Rs 1560 per dose for an individual.
“This amounts to a cost of ₹ 6,000 to ₹ 9,000 per family for a single (round of) dose,” he said. Mr Badal claimed that in Mohali 35,000 doses were sold for “a profit” of nearly ₹ 2 crore in a day.
Punjab minister said ‘no control on vaccine’
Punjab Health Minister BS Sidhu responding to accusations that the Congress government has been “diverting” Covid vaccines to private hospitals at “hefty margins”, said his department does not have “control over vaccines”. However, he promised an investigation into the claim.
I don’t have control over vaccines. I just look over treatment, testing, sampling of COVID19 & vaccination camps. We will definitely set an inquiry, I myself can inquire the matter: Punjab Health Minister BS Sidhu on SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal’s allegations pic.twitter.com/AJUQKP3I1m
— ANI (@ANI) June 4, 2021