Deeksha Sood –
The plea filed by Rajya Sabha MP from Kerala and former media person John Brittas and R Ramakumar, professor at TISS says that the policy will in effect “Cause a reservation for the rich and urban people alone.”
Advocate Reshmita Ramachandran filed an application, contending that there is massive underutilization of vaccines given to private hospitals.
The private hospitals have administered only 17.05% of the vaccines allotted to them.
“High predatory prices at private hospitals in comparison to government-run hospitals and vaccine hesitancy will continue to cause low vaccination at private healthcare centres,” the plea stated.
The independent purchase of vaccines by the private hospitals will create huge vaccine inequity in the country, argue the applicants.
They cited a report of the Indian Express dated June 5, according to which just nine corporate hospital groups in big cities have cornered 50 % of the Covid-19 vaccine stock meant for the private sector in the month of May and the balance 50% of vaccine stock was procured by 300- odd hospitals, located mostly in the country’s urban centres, with hardly any of them serving regions beyond the Tier-2 cities.
The Apex Court intervene in the suo moto case on Covid issues, voice the apprehension that this policy will only lead to super profiting by private hospitals creating massive vaccine inequity.