Govt sets max monthly limit for vax stock in pvt hospitals

Govt sets max monthly limit for vax stock in pvt hospitals

Ceiling Linked To Daily Use; No Direct Purchase

Sumitra DebRoy@timesgroup.com

Mumbai:30.06.2021

Private hospitals have to place orders for vaccines on CoWin and cannot directly procure it from manufacturers, July 1 onwards. The Centre has also devised a formula to decide the ‘maximum monthly limit’ of stocks that a private vaccination centre can purchase to ensure a level-playing field.

According to an SOP document circulated among Mumbai hospitals on Tuesday, the maximum vaccine stock a private hospital can procure is double their average daily consumption for a particular week in the previous month. Hospitals can pick a week of their choice to derive the daily average and place orders. The details will be taken from the CoWin site.

For instance, if a private vaccination centre submits the order for July by selecting the June 10-16 week when 630 doses were administered, then daily average doses would be 90 (630/7 = 90). The hospital, therefore, can place a maximum order of 5,400 doses for July (90 x 30 x 2 = 5,400). The document says maximum limit for a month can be revised in the second half, based on consumption during the first 15 days.

For hospitals that plan to join the vaccination drive now and do not have a prior consumption record, maximum limit will be worked out based on number of hospital beds available. A 50-bed hospital can order a maximum of 3,000 doses, a 50-300 bed hospital can order up to 6,000 doses and a hospital with more than 300 beds can order up to 10,000 doses.

The SOP document says private vaccination centres can place orders in four instalments in a month.

“There will be no need for approval by any government authority. Successful submission of the procurement order on CoWIN shall be sufficient,” it says. Once the demand is submitted, CoWIN will aggregate the numbers district- and state-wise before passing it on to manufacturers. The private centres will have to make payments on the National Health Authority (NHA) portal.

Dr Dilip Patil, state immunisation officer, confirmed that the SOP for procurement of vaccines by private hospitals was released on Tuesday though clarity on distribution is still awaited. “We are not sure if private hospitals will directly get it from the manufactures or it will come to state or respective corporations as was the system before May 1,” he said.

Mumbai hospitals welcomed the new formula. Joy Chakraborty, COO of PD Hinduja Hospital, said this strategy will prevent hoarding. “All categories of hospitals, big or small, can log on to CoWin and place their demands. They needn’t have direct contacts with manufacturers which was a hindrance for many,” he said.

Dr Prince Surana, CEO of Surana Group of Hospitals, said it was a good idea to link procurement with consumption. Dr Sunil Agrawal, head of Malad-based Sanjeevani Hospital, said he has managed only 25,000 doses since May 1. “And that too after making dozens of phone calls and going back and forth with manufacturers for weeks,” he said. “The online system sounds promising.”

BEATING LOCKDOWN BLUES: With Covid curbs eased, tourists make a beeline for Rajdari waterfall in Uttar Pradesh’s Chandauli