Chandigarh: Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh addresses a press conference in Chandigarh, on May 23, 2019. (Photo: IANS)
New Delhi: Punjab government has been fire over alleged attempt to ‘reap profits’ from the sale of Corona vaccine. The state government diverted the vaccines from its quota to private hospitals and charged hefty money for it.
As the issue snowballed into a major controversy and Centre stepping in, the state government found itself on the backfoot. It has now asked the private hospitals to return all the vaccines, assuring that their money will be returned.
“The order of providing one time limited vaccine doses to 18-44 years age group population through private hospitals is withdrawn. Private hospitals should return all vaccine doses available with them,” an official statement from state govt said.
How ‘Vaccine for money’ issue sparked row
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. This deprived the poor of their change of vaccination.
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.
Centre sought report from Punjab govt
Alarmed at the reports, The Centre also took cognizance of the matter and asked Punjab government to give clarification on reports that it was ‘earning’ Rs 600 per dose in the process.
