Second phase of vaccination drive: Gujarat allows paid shots

Ahmedabad, Feb 27: Eligible COVID-19 vaccine aspirants in Gujarat will have to pay Rs 250 per shot if they opt to get themselves inoculated at 522 designated private hospitals during the second phase of the vaccination drive beginning March 1, the state government said on Saturday.

However, the aspirants above 60 years of age and those aged 45 years and above with comorbidities can get the shots free across the network of over 2,000 government hospitals in the state, Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel, who heads Health department, told reporters.

He said those seeking vaccination at private hospitals empanelled under the 'Pradhan Mantri Jan Aarogya Yojana' (PMJAY) and the state government's 'Ma Vatsalya Yojana' will have to pay Rs 250 for each dose of the vaccine, which included Rs 150 as the cost of the vaccine and Rs 100 as administration charge.

"The Gujarat government has made preparations for vaccination of beneficiaries above the age of 60 and those between 45 and 59 years of age but are suffering from comorbidities. Such beneficiaries will be administered COVID-19 vaccines free of cost in PHCs, CHCs, sub-district and district hospitals, hospitals of medical colleges as well as civil hospitals. There are 2,005 such hospitals across the state," Patel said.

He said the Central government had also made arrangements for aspirants to get vaccinated at private hospitals under the PMJAY by paying Rs 250 per dose, including Rs 100 towards registration cost and Rs 150 for the vaccine.

"Such beneficiaries will have to pay Rs 500 for both the doses," Patel added. He said 522 private hospitals in Gujarat are empanelled under the PMJAY and the Ma Vatsalaya Yojana. Patel said the stategovernment will supply vaccines to government and private hospitals eligible under these schemes. He stressed that COVID-19 vaccine will not be available in the open market.

"The vaccines in both government and private hospitals will be meant for the beneficiaries under the categories determined by the Central government," the deputy CM said. The first nationwide COVID-19 vaccination drive, which began on January 16, covered healtcare workers and frontline workers. Gujarat is seeing a steady rise in new coronavirus positive cases. On February 26, the state recorded 460 new infections, taking the cumulative tally of cases to 2,69,031.