HYDERABAD: The Telangana Health Department has permitted private hospitals designated as private vaccination centres (PVCs) to vaccinate people above 18 years of age, and also allowed them to undertake vaccinations at workplaces. The process must be carried out as per the guidelines issued by Union Ministry of Health and all registrations should be done via the CoWIN portal.
With this decision, all age groups are eligible to take their vaccine, albeit at higher costs. Places categorised as workplaces also include institutions, gated communities and companies, which will need to request the hospitals for such drives. How far this will help to address the vaccine coverage in the State is to be seen as private players would have to procure vaccines from the manufacturers, and vaccines are currently in short supply.
Pvt hosps to take up vax drives for IT firms
Furthermore, there is a rural-urban divide in terms of procurement of vaccines by private hospitals. Going by current trends, a majority of hospitals who procure vaccines are likely to be in GHMC limits while only a handful of hospitals from districts have procured the vaccine directly from manufacturers.
In fact, private hospitals in Hyderabad are already planning to take up corporate vaccination drives in the city, considering the large number of IT employees residing in GHMC limits. Dr Riyaz Khan, CEO, Continental Hospitals, said, “At Continental Hospitals, 600 doses per day will be available. We are expecting more registrations from the 18 to 44 years age group, so have accordingly planned manpower deployment and counters to ensure smooth operations. Continental Hospitals is signing up with most of the corporate firms. Over the next three months, we plan to vaccinate over 75,000 people.”
Hospitals are also gearing up for off-site vaccination drives. DVS Soma Raju, Executive Director, SLG Hospitals, said, “We are hopeful of allotment of doses from June 15. We have carried out a large number of vaccinations during the previous drives with the government, and we are well equipped with a team of experts and a separate area that has been allocated at our hospital.”