Private-Public-Partnership mode of corona vaccination: Madhya Pradesh health department to fix strategy with Centre

BHOPAL: As corona vaccines are under-utilised in inoculation for frontline workers (FLWs), the Madhya Pradesh health department will chalk out a strategy after holding a meeting with the central government through video-conferencing regarding involvement of private hospitals to speed up the vaccination process on Wednesday. The state health department has received a letter in this regard from the Union health ministry. After the meeting with the Union health ministry, the Madhya Pradesh health will chalk out a strategy regarding speeding up of vaccination.

State immunization officer Dr Santosh Shukla said, “We’ve received a letter from the central government regarding involvement of private hospitals. We’ll have a video-conference on Wednesday. Involvement of private hospitals means we’ll use their space for vaccination, but not at their price. It’ll be free of cost, whether the vaccination is carried out at a government hospital or a private hospital, even if private hospitals are involved in the private-public partnership (PPP) mode. After discussions with the Union health ministry, a concrete plan will be chalked out regarding the involvement of private hospitals in inoculations in Madhya Pradesh.”

The health ministry’s letter is for involvement of private hospitals with the objective of speeding up inoculation amid demands from various states regarding de-regularization of corona vaccines with involvement of private hospitals in view of the under-utilisation of vaccines.

Earlier, a demand was raised by the states facing an upsurge requesting the Union health ministry for involvement of private hospitals. A multi-pronged public-private partnership (PPP) model is needed to rev up the Covid-19 vaccination drive wherein private hospitals could be permitted to administer vaccines so as to cover the maximum size of population in the shortest possible time. Similarly, a demand was raised by Maharashtra for de-regularisation of supply and sale of corona vaccines as corona vaccines are under-utilised. Demand was also made for capping the price of corona vaccines.