Private hospitals are scrambling to place vaccination orders with a 24-hour deadline

Private hospitals raced on Thursday to submit vaccination orders since the Centre only allowed them a 24-hour window (Wednesday to Thursday) to place the order and pay for it. According to the Private Institutions and Nursing Homes Association, private hospitals may only make orders for three lakh pills till Wednesday evening (PHANA)

The constant flip-flap in vaccine procurement procedures has led private hospitals to lose interest. PHANA Precident Dr.Prasanna HM said hospitals have been made to place incidens thrice so far, first with the state government, then with the Karnataka Private Medical Established portal(10 lakh doses incidents raised), and then Co-WIN portal which did not work until Monday.
“On Wednesday there were a communication from the immunization deputy director that by Thursday 2:00pm all vaccine incidents have to be raised and paid for. How many can do that within 25 hours? People have lost interest. We have requested for an extension,” he said. National Health Mission Director Dr. Arundhati Chandrasekhar did not respond to DH’s queries.

Meanwhile, Bharat Biotech has apparently sent feelers to city hospitals to buy vaccines directly. Three hospitals have already bought vaccine doses according to Prasanna. “I do not want to name these three hospitals. But the purchase happened after june21, and the payment happened within a day,” he said.