Maharashtra Congress chief spreads misinformation about Covid vaccine

On March 2, former Chief Minister of Maharashtra and Congress chief Prithviraj Chavan questioned why the central authorities was charging for the Covid-19 vaccine in phase-II of the vaccination drive when Rs.35,000 crore had been earmarked for it.
In the funds speech FM @nsitharaman introduced Rs 35,000 cr for the vaccination drive. With that quantity Govt can procure & distribute 1.5 billion doses protecting 75 cr inhabitants. Why is the @narendramodi Govt charging for vaccines then? #Covaxin pic.twitter.com/qaDVvrQd3s— Prithviraj Chavan (@prithvrj) March 2, 2021
He mentioned, “According to the budget speech delivered by the Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, on February 1, 2021, Rs 35,000 crore has been earmarked for the vaccination drive. In this amount, at the cost of Rs 210 per dose, more than 1.5 billion doses can be procured, which can inoculate 75 crore population twice, covering almost the entire adult population of India. If budgetary provisions are made then, why charge common people?”
Chavan mentioned that the central authorities had procured 1.65 crore doses of vaccine at the price of Rs.210 per dose. Compared to India, giant international locations just like the USA, UK or Canada are offering the vaccines without spending a dime to their residents by way of insurance coverage schemes or budgetary provisions. He mentioned, “I demand all beneficiaries of Pradhan Mantri Jan Aarogy Yojana (Aayushman Bharat) must be given free Covid-19 vaccine. Unfortunately, despite lofty budgetary announcements and India being the largest supplier of the Covid-19 vaccine, Modi government is digging into the common man’s pocket.”
He claimed that folks over the age of 60 and over the age of 45 with co-morbidity might get inoculated on the designated centres by paying Rs 250. The truth is that the above-mentioned inhabitants group can get the vaccine completely freed from price in authorities vaccination centres.
Chavan’s assertion is factually incorrect
As per the central authorities’s announcement, the Covid-19 vaccine is free in authorities hospitals. Private hospitals can cost for the vaccine. However, there’s a cap of Rs.250 on the vaccine value that features Rs.100 for the hospital costs. While making the assertion, Chavan conveniently skipped the truth that authorities hospitals is not going to cost for the vaccine.
The central authorities will procure the vaccine and distribute it to the states as per the requirement. The state governments will then distribute them to the federal government hospitals and personal hospitals which have enrolled as Covid Vaccination Centers (CVCs). Over 10,000 personal hospitals enrolled underneath Ayushman Bharat PMJAY, over 600 hospitals underneath CGHS, and different personal hospitals enrolled underneath State Schemes as Covid vaccination centres.
Registration and costs
Everyone has to register for a vaccine shot on the Co-Win2.0 portal or Arogya Setu app and select the vaccination centre. If the particular person chooses to go to a authorities hospital, the vaccine will probably be freed from price. However, if the particular person selected to go to a non-public hospital, he must pay Rs.250. Chavan claimed that poor residents must pay Rs.250, which is factually incorrect. They can select to go to a authorities hospital and get the shot without spending a dime. The provision of availability of vaccines at personal hospitals was launched after public demand for extra comfort and choices for folks.
Keeping in thoughts that the federal government is procuring vaccine at Rs.210 per shot, the worth of the vaccine in personal hospitals is already backed, because the personal hospital will solely pay Rs.150 per shot to the federal government. Apart from that, it’s as much as the state authorities in the event that they wish to present vaccine to personal hospitals without spending a dime. Notably, the NDA-led Bihar authorities has already introduced that the vaccination will probably be free in each authorities and personal hospitals. Congress-led states can even observe the Bihar authorities’s footsteps and announce the identical in the event that they wish to. During his assertion, Chavan might have no less than urged Congress-led states to announce free vaccine as an alternative of allegedly unfold misinformation.
Money was earmarked for vaccination drive
Rs.35,000 crores had been allotted for the vaccination drive within the funds. Vaccination drive will not be restricted to the procurement of the vaccine, however it covers distribution, storage, logistics, infrastructure, and human capital. The finance minister had stored a provision for added funds for the vaccination drive if required.