“Necessary legal and administrative actions should be initiated against such institutions,” the Health Ministry said in its letter.
The Centre on Saturday said some private hospitals are giving package for Covid vaccination in collaboration with luxury hotels in violation of the guidelines and legal action needs to be initiated against them.
The Health Ministry, in a letter to the states and union territories, directed officials to monitor and ensure that the guidelines are followed while carrying out the National Covid Vaccination drive.
Vaccination, under these guidelines, can be carried out at “government and private Covid vaccination centres, workplaces, near to home covid vaccination centre for elderly and differently-abled persons to be organised at group housing societies, RWA offices, community centres, panchayat bhawans, school and colleges, old age homes etc on a temporary basis”.
“Necessary legal and administrative actions should be initiated against such institutions. Therefore, you are also requested to monitor and ensure that National Covid Vaccination drive is carried out as per the prescribed guidelines,” the statement said.
Health Ministry writes to States/UTs on some private hospitals giving package for #COVID19 Vaccination in collaboration with some hotels.
Says it is against the guidelines issued for the National Covid Vaccination Program. pic.twitter.com/qum9SqOJtW— Ministry of Health (@MoHFW_INDIA) May 29, 2021
In the last few days on social media, many pictures surfaced which showed Covid vaccination packages by luxury hotels that include a comfortable stay, healthy breakfast, dinner and wifi, along with “vaccination by experts from a renowned hospital and clinical consultation on request”.
On Saturday, Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia, pointing out that acute vaccine shortage that has forced the state government to suspend the inoculation programme for the 18-44 years age group, questioned the central government about “how private hospitals were getting the doses if centre does not have enough stocks for states”.
“The Delhi government wants to vaccinate all its youth free of cost. If there are no vaccines for this purpose, how are vaccines available at private hospitals,” Mr Sisodia asked, underlining that such facilities were charging around ₹ 1,000 per jab.
The central government aims to vaccinate the entire country by the end of this year.
“The Health Ministry has given a blueprint. 108 crore people – with 216 crore doses – will be vaccinated by December,” Union Minister Prakash Javadekar said on Friday.
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