False start likely for Covid-19 vaccination drive on May 1 in Karnataka

Those between 18 and 45 years of age, for whom the vaccination drive begins from May 1, may have to wait longer as private hospitals have expressed doubts about offering vaccines and Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa said they will be given based on the availability.

While the Ramaiah group of hospitals with 600 of its 1,000 beds catering to Covid patients, placed an order for one lakh Covishield vaccine doses, the supplier, Serum Institute of India (SII), apparently replied that they will “consider” the hospital’s request.

Shalini Pradeep, Covid-19 nodal officer in MS Ramaiah hospital said, “Our strategy and planning team wrote to SII, but the company only said our request will be considered. The BBMP said the cost of vaccine doses is under consideration. They said they will get back after two days but did not.”

The chief minister said vaccination will be carried out in stages amid complaints that though people had registered for vaccinations from May 1, they were yet to be allotted slots at vaccination centres due to a shortage of vaccines.

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Another large private hospital chain which refused to go on record, said the government is still working with manufacturers on price and quantity, and that they are not giving them any certainty on supply dates. However, Dr Sudarshan, Reproductive and Child Health Officer, BBMP, who is in charge of vaccination said, “Private hospitals have to procure vaccines on their own. We have no role to play.”

Fortis Hospital group in an email said, “We are yet to receive an update from BBMP. As soon as we get adequate stock and are in a position to cover a reasonable number of candidates, we will start the vaccination drive.”

Dr Chaitanya Pathania, general manager, Columbia Asia Hospital, Whitefield, said, “We are in touch with manufacturers to ensure we get the vaccines as soon as possible.”

“All Sparsh hospitals will provide vaccination to patients. If the government doesn’t supply, we will procure it directly from the market,” said Guruprasad BR, director, Strategy, Sparsh Hospital. He did not, however, respond to queries on orders placed with SII or Bharat Biotech and if vaccination will be rolled out on Saturday. Apollo, Manipal and Aster groups of hospitals did not respond to DH’s queries.

Dr Reshma Sunil, unit head, ‎Bhagwan Mahaveer Jain Hospital Group, said, “We are out of stock completely and don’t have a single vaccine vial. We were told that the BBMP will give a vendor list from both the vaccine companies for us to place orders with.” However, BBMP officials denied any such initiative being undertaken from their end.

Pharmaceutical companies are enhancing their production capacity. A third vaccine is also being introduced. “Under these circumstances, vaccination drive will continue based on the availability of the vaccine,” Yediyurappa said in a statement.

With just a day left for the launch of the fourth phase of vaccination, Yediyurappa said that around 5.9 lakh doses of vaccines were available in the state. “So far, the Government of India has supplied 99.4 lakh doses of vaccine to the state, and 93.50 lakh doses were administered,” he said.