Facing criticism from several quarters, the Punjab government on Friday decided to withdraw its decision of providing limited COVID-19 vaccine doses to 18-44 age group people through private hospitals.
Parties belonging to the Opposition, including the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), accused the ruling Congress government in Punjab of selling government quota vaccines at hefty profit to private hospitals.
As the controversy raged, Punjab’s Health and Family Welfare department issued an order on June 4 withdrawing its earlier decision.
“The order of providing one-time limited vaccine dose to 18-44 years age group population through private hospitals has not been taken in the right spirit and is hereby withdrawn,” said the order.
“Further, it has been decided that the private hospitals should return forthwith all the vaccine doses available with them. The amount deposited by the private hospitals in the vaccine fund shall be refunded to them,” it added.
Akali Dal seeks probe
Former Deputy Chief Minister and SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal had alleged that while vaccine doses were available in the State, they were being sold to private institutions instead of being given free of cost to the common man. “A Covaxin dose costing the State ₹400 was being sold to private institutions at ₹1,060. The private hospitals were further selling the dose at ₹1,560,” he alleged, demanding a High Court monitored probe into the matter.
Raghav Chadha, AAP Punjab affairs co-incharge, said that the State government had committed a ‘vaccine scam’. He said that due to the government’s apathy the people were being forced to get vaccinated from private hospitals at an overblown price.
