PMK youth wing leader Anbumani Ramadoss on Wednesday urged that the integrated vaccine complex at Chengalpattu should not be privatised.
In a statement, he said reports about attempts to privatise the facility is shocking and the move is unjustifiable especially when the need for vaccines in India is increasing.
Handing over the facility to the private sector would defeat the very purpose of why the complex was formed in the first place. The complex should either be run by the Centre or taken over by the Tamil Nadu government.
Dr. Anbumani wondered why the Tamil Nadu government is hesitant to consider his suggestion of taking over the facility and instead showing interest to procure vaccines from the private sector.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister has said that the state government is keen to form joint venture with the private sector for manufacture of vaccine and can co-invest, instead that money can be invested to take over the vaccine complex at Chengalpattu which would be more useful, he added.
Tamil Nadu government should urge the Centre to drop the plan to privatise the complex and insist on handing over the facility to the state and PMK would back all such efforts.
The facility can produce seven vaccines required for the Universal Immunization Programme, besides the COVID-19 vaccine. Handing it over to the private sector, will result in procuring these vaccines at higher prices, which should be stopped, he added.
