Private hospitals unsure over fresh purchase of vaccines for booster dose

Although private hospitals faced financial loss because of expired vaccines, many hospitals will be open to evaluate how to start the vaccination programme all over again

Mumbai With the Centre announcing on Friday that Covid booster doses for the adult population will be administered at private vaccination centres, private hospitals are divided over whether or not they will purchase fresh stock given that a significant number of vaccines expired in the state in the last two months.

Dr LH Hiranandani Hospital, which presently has 2,500 doses that are going to expire by mid-June, announced a major discount on vaccines. (HT PHOTO)

Gautam Khanna, president of the Association of Hospitals and CEO of PD Hinduja Hospital, said that they welcome the move of allowing booster doses for the adult population. “Although Covid is under control, a booster dose will be required for continued safety and protection. As more and more restrictions are lifted, we need to be careful,” he said.

Khanna added that although private hospitals faced financial loss because of expired vaccines, many hospitals will be open to evaluate how to start the vaccination programme all over again. “I wish the government had taken this decision earlier. It would have saved vaccines from getting expired,” he said.

However, private hospitals are divided over the Covid purchase. Dr Prince Surana, CEO of Surana Sethia Hospital, said that they will not purchase fresh vaccine stock.

“The fear of Covid is almost gone and people are not interested in taking these booster doses by paying. We lost as many as 70,000 doses in the last two months after they expired. We will gauge the response before making a fresh purchase,” he said.

Dr LH Hiranandani Hospital, which presently has 2,500 doses that are going to expire by mid-June, announced a major discount on vaccines.

Dr Sujit Chatterjee, CEO of Dr LH Hiranandani Hospital said they will gauge the response before ordering the fresh stock. “We have the vaccine stock till mid-June. We will see the response from the community before ordering fresh stock. We have reduced the rates of the vaccines- Covishield is for ₹400 and Covaxin is for ₹650. We don’t mind giving the vaccines for free too but we are clear that we will not waste them,” he said.

Dr Sanjay Patil, Indian Medical Association- Pune Chapter, said that in Maharashtra, Pune alone had close to 1 lakh vaccine doses that expired in the last two months. “The shelf-life of the vaccines is less. If there is less footfall for the booster doses, financially it won’t be viable. Private hospitals are sceptical to take the risk again,” he said.

Ravi Duggal, a public health researcher and activist, said that by allowing the adult population to take precautionary/booster doses in private hospitals, the government is discriminating and repeating its mistakes. “Vaccination is a public good. If it is so essential to renew immunity, the government should have allowed the public sector for vaccinations too. It is clear discrimination by forcing the adult population to go to a private hospital for the vaccine,” he said.

It was in December 2021 when concern over a large number of vaccines getting expired in March-June 2022 was raised by the private sector. The Centre issued a circular on February 23 to all the state governments that they had no objections if the latter considered exchange of near-expiry vaccine vials of private hospitals with long-expiry vaccines with government centres.

However, on February 25, the Maharashtra state government said it will not exchange private vaccines, but the private sector can donate them.

As per the BMC estimates, the city has 90.78 lakh adult population. According to BMC, by June, close to two lakh vaccines will expire in the city. On January 10, the Centre allowed booster shots for healthcare and frontline workers, and those above 60 years with co-morbidities. Till April 7, Mumbai administered 4,21,783 to these three categories.