A high-level meeting was held on 9/3 between Central government officials and State Secretaries on the vaccine drive. While Maharashtra rooted for the inclusion of the judiciary in the priority list, MP asked to include truck drivers. What did Goa’s Secretary recommend? Silence? Surely, we need to have the regular bus commuters on the list.
Disturbingly, States pointed out that private hospitals providing the vax at a cost were resorting to cross-selling: selling insurance and other check-ups. Those opting for these were given priority!
In Goa, we saw the IMA justify its own priority list inclusions during the first phase itself! There is no trust in private hospitals unless one is ready to shell out exorbitant fees! Covishield vaccine has 10 doses per vial: any dose that remains unused for 4 hours must be destroyed. The vaccine must be stored at 2 to 8 degrees C: what happens when there is a power failure and the hospital has no backup, or the backup fails? Or the freezer fails?
Experts, including politicians, called for private hospitals to administer the vax free of cost as is done in many foreign countries.
