Only two private hospitals administered near-expiry vaccines at CVC for free: BMC

Providing an option to save vaccines from being wasted, BMC had suggested that private hospitals use its facilities to deliver the doses to citizens. But most of them seem to be holding on to their profiteering intentions, said civic officials

Mumbai: With an estimate of 40,000 to 60,000 near-expiry Covid-19 vaccination kept unutilised, only two private hospitals in the city administered their shots for free of cost at Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) vaccination centres over the past two weeks.

As per data received from BMC, PD Hinduja Hospital, Mahim and Bombay Hospital, Marine Lines, has so far administered 580 doses and 5718 near to expiry doses respectively at the CVC. (Bachchan Kumar/ HT PHOTO)

Providing an option to save vaccines from being wasted, BMC had suggested that private hospitals use its facilities to deliver the doses to citizens. But most of them seem to be holding on to their profiteering intentions, said civic officials.

As per data received from BMC, PD Hinduja Hospital, Mahim and Bombay Hospital, Marine Lines, has so far administered 580 doses and 5718 near to expiry doses respectively at the CVC.

While the concern over large number of vaccines getting expired in March-June was raised by the private sector in December, 2021, the centre on February 23 issued a circular to all state governments that they had no objections if the latter consider exchange of near-expiry vaccine vials from private hospitals with long expiry vaccines procured by government centres.

However, on February 25, the Maharashtra government said it will not get into an exchange mode, and that the private sector can donate them. The state government health officials said that it is not mandatory for private hospitals to donate it to government vaccination centres but an option to avoid wastage.

After the state circular, Bombay Hospital assigned a team at the nearest BMC vaccination centre and gave away the near-expiry vaccines. “Vaccines should not be wasted. It is an important resource. We administered all the near-to-expire vaccines at the BMC vaccination centres in the last few days,” said Dr Gautam Bhansali, chief coordinator of private hospitals for vaccination and COVID.

Joy Hinduja, COO, PD Hinduja Hospital said they had Rotary Club and NGO bailing them out by purchasing the near to expiry vaccines that were then given at BMC’s vaccination centres.

On an average, BMC’s CVC sees close to 30000 vaccinations a day while private hospitals, in all, sees less than 3000 vaccinations a day.

Suresh Kakani, additional municipal commissioner, BMC instead of wasting the vaccine, the private hospitals could have utilised it for the benefit of the people.

He said the private hospitals may be in a wait and watch state. “It may not be possible for them to offer the vaccines for free and instead wait for changes in policies regarding exchange of near expiry vaccines with long term expiry vaccines in the public sector,” said Kakani.

Talking about disposal of expired vaccines, he said the guidelines for the same might come by Monday.

Private hospitals also told HT that they were in a lookout for CSR funds or NGOs to help them buy the stock or looking forward to policy change at state level. “The Indian Medical Association is trying to speak to the government for some consideration/ compensation that can be given. We are also looking at CSR fundings,” said a private hospital spokesperson.

Dr Amitav Banerjee, epidemiologist and head of community medicine, Dr DY Patil Medical College, Pune said the vaccination programme wasn’t planned rationally.

“The projection of COVID-19 cases was wrong. It was anticipated that there would be more COVID-19 cases than it actually was. The government had planned a 100% vaccination drive, which wasn’t required in any case. There are anti-vaxxers, there are people who have recovered from natural infection and more and more evidence is coming that such people do not require vaccines.”

Blaming the market forces for the over projection, Dr Banerjee added that India’s projection was based on numbers from the northern hemisphere. “Our country didn’t have 1/10th of the mortality or cases seen in the northern hemisphere. It has been a gross mismanagement and a knee jerk reaction,” he said

Dr Ravi Wankhedkar, treasurer, World Medical Association said the present wastage of vaccines problem is mainly because of the government’s decision to give 25% of the total vaccines to the private sector.

“The traditional psyche of the Indian population is that vaccines are provided by the government and free of cost. Nobody goes to a private hospital for a vaccine. While the initial affordable population went to the private sector, larger populations still relied on the public sector. It is the private sector which is facing the bulk of vaccine expiry issues,” he said.