'Govt should utilise pvt hospitals empanelled with PMJAY, CGHS, NABH and NBE for vaccination'

Association of Healthcare Providers -India (AHCP-I) director-general Dr Giridhar Gyani has appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to involve National Accreditation Board for Hospitals (NABH) and the National Board of Examinations (NBE) accredited hospitals for the second phase of the Covid-19 vaccination drive starting March 1

New Delhi: Even as the government has kept a ceiling of Rs 250 per person per Covid19 dose in private hospitals, the Association of Healthcare Providers (AHCP-India) has appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to involve National Accreditation Board for Hospitals (NABH) and National Board of Examinations (NBE) accredited hospitals for the second phase of Covid19 vaccination drive starting March 1.

Speaking to ETV Bharat in an exclusive interview on Saturday, AHCP-I Director General Dr Giridhar Gyani said, "Government has communicated that 24,000 PMJAY and CGHS accredited private hospitals will be involved for vaccination. We have appealed to the Prime Minister to include more than 3,000 NABH and NBR accredited hospitals so that a large number of people could be immunized with Covid-19 vaccine."

After administering Covid-19 vaccines to the priority group of healthcare and frontline workers since January 16, the central government has decided to vaccinate 27 crore priority group people from March 1.

Under phase 2 of vaccination, people above 60 years of age and 45-59 years of age suffering with co-morbidities will be vaccinated across India.

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"We need to speed up vaccination to cover 1.2 billion or at least 40 per cent of the populations," said Dr Gyani.

"If you see the history of our vaccination, we launched the vaccination on January 16. America launched the vaccination on December 10. In India the first 7 lakh people were vaccinated in 26 days whereas America took 27 days...but thereafter US is doing 12 to 15 lakh vaccination per day. India at present is doing 2.5 lakh vaccination on an average per day," said Dr Gyani.

AHCP-India represents around 12,000 private hospitals across the country.

"In the initial stage, the Government has involved only the public sector hospital. Now enough experience has been generated and its time to involve private hospitals. We have appealed to include NABH and NBE accredited hospitals along with 10,000 government hospitals for the vaccination process," said Dr Gyani.

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Dr Gyani said that each private hospital can provide 100-200 vaccine per day. "Bigger hospitals can give 200 and more vaccines per day," he said.

Talking about the pricing issue for vaccination in private hospitals, Dr Gyani said that the pricing is basically the prerogative of the government.

"Under the pandemic act, the Government can regulate the pricing...the way they have done for RT-PCR and ICU beds in private health care facilities. However, the pricing will be finalised in consultations with the manufacturer," added Dr Gyani.

Gyani said that private hospitals can provide Rs 100 per person. "Rs 50 will be required for vaccinators and Rs 50 for logistics in the healthcare facilities," said Dr Gyani and added, "We are given to understand that vaccine may be available in the open market for Rs 300."

He said that the first dose in the second phase of vaccination to the entire prioritised people will be over by August this year.

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