An application has been filed in the Supreme Court challenging the Central government’s policy to allow 25% of the domestically manufactured COVID-19 vaccines to be procured by private hospitals.
The plea filed by John Brittas, CPI(M) Rajya Sabha MP, and Professor R. Ramakumar of the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai, said that the new policy will cause a reservation for the rich and urban people. The application has urged the top court to direct the Centre to take over 100% procurement
The plea has cited statistics from the past vaccination drives, including tuberculosis, DPT3 and polio, where contribution of the private sector was negligible. Already, the application argues, there is a massive under-utilisation of vaccines by the private hospitals.
