As the nation prepares for the next phase of the mega vaccination drive, the Centre has asked Serum Institute of India and Bharat BioTech to reduce the prices of vaccines covering all adults who are aged 18 or above.
Meanwhile, it has come to light that the country has exported Covid-19 vaccines to nearly 47 countries at rates cheaper than in India. An RTI revert from the Ministry of External Affairs revealed that the vaccines meant for sending abroad were procured for Rs 200-300 from both the main companies.
Replying to an RTI query by a Nagpur-based activist-based lawyer Advocate Pranay Ajmera, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA)’s Under Secretary Arun Kumar stated that the vaccines were supplied as “grant” and “contractual supplies” under the COVAX facility.
“For grant supplies, vaccines were procured at a rate of Rs 200/dose plus GST from Serum Institute of India Pvt Ltd (SII-Pune) and at a rate of Rs 295/dose from Bharat Biotech International Ltd (BBIL), in accordance with the authorization given by the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare (MHFW),” the MEA’s RTI reply stated.
“As per the data supplied till April 10, the Centre has already exported a total of 6.37 crore doses to 89 countries. This constitutes 1.03 crore doses at Rs 200+GST rates and the rest 3.44 crore doses at commercial rates. For the same doses, now the Centre has allowed the same companies to levy double the rates in the Indian markets,” Adv Ajmera revealed.
Among the beneficiaries, Bangladesh has received 1.03 crore doses, including 33 lakh doses as a ‘grant’ and the rest commercially. Other beneficiaries are Myanmar (17 lakh doses), Nepal (11 lakh) and, on the lower rung, Seychelles (0.5 lakh) and Dominica (0.7 lakh), besides a ‘grant’ of 2 lakh doses to UN Peacekeepers.
In India, the Serum Institute is supplying its Covishield vaccine to state governments at Rs 400/dose and to private hospitals for Rs 600/dose, and Bharat BioTech is giving it at Rs 600/dose to state governments and Rs 1200/dose to private hospitals. Advocate Ajmera appealed to give free vaccines to every Indian as PM Modi also said that vaccination is the biggest weapon to fight the deadly virus.