Booster dose for 18+: Private hospitals in Chandigarh to begin drive with just 1,700 doses

A total of seven private hospitals in Chandigarh will begin the drive to administer precautionary Covid-19 vaccine dose to all adults from Sunday, but with limited stock.

As per data shared by the UT health department, the seven hospitals have a combined stock of 1,700 doses, including Covishield and Covaxin vaccine. These hospitals are Bedi Hospital, Sector 33; Healing Hospital, Sector 34; CHD City Hospital, Sector 8; Santokh Hospital, Sector 38; Jindal IVF Memorial, Sector 20; Chaitanya Hospital, Sector 44; and Cloudnine Hospital, Industrial Area, Phase 2.

All those above the age of 18, who have completed nine months after the administration of the second dose, are eligible for the precaution dose from Sunday. A prior appointment via Centre’s CoWin website is required.

The Union government has capped the prices of Covishield and Covaxin at ₹225 per dose, but allowed private vaccination centres to charge up to ₹150 per dose as service charge.

The precautionary dose is being provided for free to people above the age of 60, health care workers and frontline workers at government vaccination centres.

Dr Suman Singh, director, health services, Chandigarh, said, “The private hospitals have limited stock but they can purchase more doses, as per requirement, from the central government or from vaccine manufacturers.”

While the information about hospitals offering the third dose in Panchkula and Mohali was not immediately available, their respective district immunisation officers (DIO) said private hospitals can source the vaccines and offer them within the rates prescribed by the government.

Panchkula DIO Meenu Sasan said so far only one private hospital, ProLife in Sector 21, had registered for the drive.

Will buy stock after checking demand: Pvt hospitals

Meanwhile, private hospitals, that had already purchased one dose of Covishield for ₹630 and Covaxin at ₹1,050, are confused after the Centre slashed their price to ₹225.

Dr RS Bedi, who runs Bedi Hospital in Chandigarh, said, “We will roll out the third dose drive as per the prices decided by the government, but it will cause us losses. Also, new stock will be purchased only after checking the response of the people.”

Dr Neeraj, managing director of Chaitanya Hospital, said, “At present, we have 200 doses each of Covishield and Covaxin. After the government’s mandate, like other hospitals, we will also have to bear the loss.”

Eight test Covid positive in tricity

As many as eight people tested positive for Covid-19 on Saturday, up from five on Friday. Both Panchkula and Mohali reported three cases each, while two cases surfaced in Chandigarh’s Sectors 21 and 28.

With the increase in daily cases, tricity’s active caseload also rose from 26 to 30 between Friday and Saturday.

There are 13 infected patients each in Chandigarh and Mohali, while four are recuperating in Panchkula. The tricity has reported no new Covid death for 38 straight days.