Facing allegations of profiteering by selling COVID-19 vaccines to private hospitals amidst its shortage in government hospitals, the Punjab Government on Friday did a volte-face. The Government not only withdrew its order regarding sale of vaccines to private institutions, but also recalled the unused stock.
At the same time, the State Government has also ordered a probe into the same in an apparent attempt to “fix the responsibility”.
The decision was taken by the Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh after taking serious note of the controversy building around the move to sell 80,000 vaccine doses to the government hospitals.
The Government maintained that 42,000 doses of Covaxin were “provided” to the private hospitals, of which they have administered only 600 till date.
“We have discussed the issue with the Chief Minister regarding providing vaccines to the private hospitals, and after taking note of the situation, the Chief Minister has asked to recall the decision. All the doses that have been supplied to the private hospitals will also be back and their funds will also be returned to them,” said the state Health and Family Welfare Minister Balbir Singh Sidhu.
He said that it was decided that a total 80,000 doses will be given to the private hospitals, but only 42,000 were provided, of which they have used only 600.
“We are taking back all the vaccines, and also those that they have administered…They have to return all the vaccines,” said the Minister, adding that all these vaccines will be administered “free of cost” to age group of 18 to 44 years at Government vaccination centres.
The orders issued by the state’s COVID vaccination in-charge Vikas Garg stated that the State Government’s decision “to provide one-time limited vaccine doses to 18-44 years age-group population through private hospitals has not been taken in the right spirit and is hereby withdrawn”.
“Further, it has been decided that the private hospitals should return forthwith all the vaccine doses available with them,” said the order.
That was not all! As per the order, the doses which the private hospitals have utilized as of date, “should also be returned back, once they get direct supplies from the manufacturers. The amount deposited by the private hospitals in the Vaccine Fund shall be refunded to them”.
The Minister said that instruction has been issued to all Civil Surgeons that no fresh allotment to be made to any private hospitals and the private hospitals should return forthwith all the vaccine doses available with them.
Notably, all the opposition parties have been lashing out at the State Government for selling Covaxin doses at over and above the prices they were procured from the Centre and making profits at the time the state was facing vaccine shortage and dealing with COVID’s severe second wave.
On Friday, the decision hit the national headlines after the Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar alleged that Punjab profiteered on Covaxin shots by getting them for Rs 400 a dose from the Centre and selling it to 20 private hospitals at Rs 1,060 a dose.
In dock over the allegations, the State Government tried to divert the allegations onto the bureaucrats while ordering a probe.
“The Health Department does not deal with vaccine procurement or distribution…It is under the Chief Secretary or COVID Vaccine Nodal Officer Vikas Garg,” said the Health Minister Balbir Sidhu.
“The Health Department only tests the quality of vaccine and then administers to the public,” he said adding that he had already ordered an inquiry into the matter after the reports and responsibility should be fixed.
Sidhu assured that as Punjab Government is committed to provide all treatment services to COVID patients without any discrimination at the government hospitals, vaccination will also be administered free of cost to all beneficiaries.
“Punjab Government had already declared in Budget 2021-22 that vaccination to be provided free of cost to every eligible beneficiary and the State would bear all expenses for the welfare of the general public,” he said. The Minister said that the private hospitals will now get direct supplies of vaccination from the manufacturers.
REGISTER CRIMINAL CASE AGAINST BALBIR SIDHU IN MULTI-CRORE VACCINE SCAM: SAD
Demanding registration of a criminal case against Punjab Health Minister Balbir Singh Sidhu, the SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal on Friday said that he should be dismissed immediately for selling 80,000 out of the one lakh vaccine doses received from the Centre at a hefty profit to private hospitals and also allowing the latter to charge a further premium on the doses from the common man.
Terming the “self profiteering” as well as allowing private institutions to profit at the cost of human lives as an inhuman act, Sukhbir said: “Balbir Sidhu cannot get away with this criminal act by feigning ignorance about the entire issue. It is his department officers who have sanctioned this act. Sidhu should be dismissed immediately and a judicial probe should be conducted into this multi-crore scam.”
AAP POSES 5 QUESTIONS ON VACCINE SCAM
Criticizing Congress Government in Punjab for selling government quota vaccines to private hospitals, AAP’s Punjab affairs co-in-charge Raghav Chadha on Friday posed five questions to the Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh and the Congress national president related to the alleged vaccine scam. Chadha alleged that Capt Amarinder Singh was following the footsteps of his boss Prime Minister Narendra Modi and looting money from the people of Punjab in times of trouble, by making ‘disaster’ an ‘opportunity’.
GOVT FAILED IN DUTY BY LOOKING TO PROFIT: BAJWA
Congress MP Partap Singh Bajwa has written to the Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh on the incident pointing that the State Government has failed in its duty to the people of Punjab by looking to profit by selling the doses.
DIFFERENTIAL VACCINE PRICING, VACCINE EXPORT, NOT PLACING TIMELY ORDERS LEFT BILLION PEOPLE TO FEND FOR THEMSELVES: JAKHAR
Punjab Congress president Sunil Jakhar, holding the has Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Central Government liable for criminal mismanagement of COVID pandemic, said that the Centre totally left people on their own and failed to do its responsibility in this gravest hour and failing to provide medicines, vaccines and other necessary supplies to citizens. Congress party has submitted a memorandum to the President of India on Friday to give voice to the demand of each and every citizen of the country for urgent availability of vaccines to safeguard lives.