The Union health ministry on Tuesday capped the prices of coronavirus vaccines being administered at private vaccination centres, a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that private hospitals can procure 25% of the doses manufactured in the country and administer them at the manufacturer’s price of the jabs and up to an additional ₹150 as service charge.
An office memorandum issued by the ministry fixed the maximum price per dose of Covishield at ₹780, for Covaxin at ₹1,410, and for Sputnik V at ₹1,145, which is as per the prices disclosed by the vaccine manufacturers at the moment.
“The revised guidelines for implementation of National COVID Vaccination Programme issued on 8th June provide that – ‘the price of vaccine doses for private hospitals would be declared by each vaccine manufacturer and any subsequent changes would be notified in advance. The private hospitals may charge up to a maximum of ₹150 per dose as service charges. State governments may monitor the price being so charged,” said the order issued by Vikas Sheel, additional secretary, Union health ministry.
“In view of the above, based on the prices currently declared by the manufacturers for the three vaccines currently being administered under the national vaccination drive following price caps are applicable: Covishield: ₹600 (price per dose as declared by manufacturer), ₹30 (GST at 5%), ₹150 (maximum service charge per dose), ₹780 (maximum price that can be charged by the private vaccination centre); Covaxin: ₹1200 (price per dose as declared by manufacturer), ₹60 (GST at 5%), ₹150 (maximum service charge per dose), ₹1,410 (maximum price that can be charged by the private vaccination centre); Sputnik V: ₹948 (price per dose as declared by manufacturer), ₹47.40 or 47 (GST at 5%), ₹150 (maximum service charge per dose), ₹1,145 (maximum price that can be charged by the private vaccination centre)…,” said the order.
{{/usCountry}}“In view of the above, based on the prices currently declared by the manufacturers for the three vaccines currently being administered under the national vaccination drive following price caps are applicable: Covishield: ₹600 (price per dose as declared by manufacturer), ₹30 (GST at 5%), ₹150 (maximum service charge per dose), ₹780 (maximum price that can be charged by the private vaccination centre); Covaxin: ₹1200 (price per dose as declared by manufacturer), ₹60 (GST at 5%), ₹150 (maximum service charge per dose), ₹1,410 (maximum price that can be charged by the private vaccination centre); Sputnik V: ₹948 (price per dose as declared by manufacturer), ₹47.40 or 47 (GST at 5%), ₹150 (maximum service charge per dose), ₹1,145 (maximum price that can be charged by the private vaccination centre)…,” said the order.
{{/usCountry}}The Serum Institute of India (SII) locally manufactures Oxford-AstraZeneca’s Covid-19 vaccine under the brand name Covishield; Bharat Biotech manufacturers Covaxin and Dr Reddy’s Laboratories has entered a partnership with Russian Direct Investment Fund to distribute first 250 million doses of the Russian Sputnik V vaccine.
CoWIN, the digital platform that is the backbone of the Covid-19 vaccine delivery management system, is being currently tweaked for the purpose, and required validations are being put in place to ensure that the prices declared by various private Covid vaccination centres do not exceed the maximum prices indicated by the central government, people with knowledge of the matter said.
Since the prices have been capped based on the rates currently declared by each vaccine manufacturer, they are open to review in the future in case the manufacturers change the selling price, they said.
The order issued to state administrative heads also directs that prices charged to beneficiaries at private vaccination centres should be closely monitored, and strict action be taken if any centre flouts the order and is found overcharging.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday announced that the Union government was taking back the responsibility for procuring vaccines and distributing them to states, in response to a growing chorus of demands from the states, sharp criticism by the Supreme Court, and amid increasing concerns that supply shortages and the insistence of foreign vaccine makers that they would only deal with the Union government could derail India’s vaccine drive.
The Union government will continue to allow private hospitals to buy up to 25% of vaccines made in India, although it has capped the service charge they can levy on these at ₹150 a dose. The details of India’s new vaccine policy will be worked out in consultation with the states in the next two weeks, and it will be launched on June 21, Modi added.