Private facilities in Bihar clueless on vaccine availability after making advance payment

At least 10 of 76 private health facilities empanelled with the state government for Covid-19 vaccination in Bihar are yet to receive vaccines despite having made advance payment through the government channel, officials said on Sunday

At least 10 of 76 private health facilities empanelled with the state government for Covid-19 vaccination in Bihar are yet to receive vaccines despite having made advance payment through the government channel, officials said on Sunday.

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Among facilities awaiting vaccine supplies are Ruban Patliputra hospital, Kurji Holy Family hospital Netaji Subhash Medical College hospital (NSMCH, Bihta), SS hospital, Mediversal hospital, Mahavir Vatsalya, Mahavir Cancer Sansthan, Medipark Healthcare Pvt Ltd, KP Sinha Super Specialty hospital and Shri Murlidhar Nursing Home.

Some centres like SS Hospital have placed requirement for only 10 doses of Covishield, as per government data, which is effectively one vial of the vaccine. The NSMCH-Bihta, and Medipark Healthcare have sought 50 doses only.

Dr LB Singh, medical superintendent of Mahavir Cancer Sansthan, said the institution had applied for 100 doses of vaccine initially on an experimental basis. “We had initially applied for 3,000 doses earlier, but government authorities asked us to procure vaccines in small quantity. We then decided to take only 100 doses on a trial basis,” said Dr Singh.

“We administered 3,529 doses of vaccine between February 1 and April 29, when the government was supplying them free of cost,” he said.

Later, the government changed its policy from May 1 and again from June 21, when the Union government decided to purchase vaccines centrally and distribute them free of cost among states and Union Territories and charge private players, while acting as an aggregator.

Manoj Kumar, executive director of State Health Society, Bihar, admitted that none of the 76 private institutions empanelled on CoWIN portal with the state government have received vaccines through the government channel after June 21.

“The Centre Saturday sent revised guidelines on vaccine procurement wherein the minimum consignment size for state supply has been fixed at 6,000 doses of Covishield and 2,880 doses of Covaxin. For each private facility, the minimum consignment order should be 500 doses of Covishield and 160 doses of Covaxin,” said Kumar.

“In light of this, we will talk to some private players that want as low as 10 to 500 doses,” he said.

Kumar, however, said he received no communication, either from the Centre or vaccine manufacturers, over the delay in supply to private players.

Besides, Ruban Patliputra Hospital applied for 1,250 doses, 1,000 Covishield and 250 Covaxin, and also made advance payment last week, but was in the dark about their availability status.

“We have completed all formalities and paid in advance for 1,250 doses of vaccines, but do not know when we will get them,” said Dr Satyajit Kumar Singh, managing director, Ruban.

“Additionally, we are also trying to get 500 doses of Sputnik V through private channel,” he said.

BIG Apollo Spectra hospital, Paras-HMRI and Jai Prabha Medanta are the only three private hospitals in Patna inoculating people after procuring the vaccine through private channels.