Terming the brand new anti-COVID vaccine coverage “discriminatory and insensitive”, the Congress on Sunday accused the federal government of permitting vaccine makers to profiteer to the tune of Rs 1.11 lakh crore. Congress common secretary and chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala alleged that the federal government has abdicated its accountability of offering free vaccines to the poor and the youth of the nation.
“How can such brazen vaccine profiteering be permitted? Why is the Modi government complicit in this profiteering in the times of pandemic? Prime Minister Narendra Modi must answer,” he advised reporters at a digital press convention. He stated vaccine growth and mass immunisation are neither occasions nor PR workout routines, however are essential milestones within the service of individuals and inoculation being an essential public service can by no means be a enterprise alternative for profiteering at the price of individuals.
Surjewala stated the Modi authorities has launched “the most discriminatory and insensitive vaccination policy” in your entire world. “The Modi government is guilty of permitting brazen profiteering of vaccination. The Modi government is also guilty of abdicating its responsibility and abandoning the young of India between the age group of 18 and 45 years,” he alleged.
Covishield manufactured by the Serum Institute of India shall be given at Rs 400 per dose to states and Rs 600 per dose to non-public hospitals, whereas Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin will price Rs 600 per dose for the states and Rs 1,200 per dose for personal hospitals. Going by the costs supplied by the vaccine makers, Surjewala stated the SII and Bharat Biotech would make Rs 35,350 crore and Rs 75,750 crore revenue, respectively.
He got here to the conclusion after assuming that fifty per cent of 101 crore individuals between 18 and 45 years are served by SII and Bharat Biotech, and estimating that half of them would purchase their very own vaccines and one other half can be served by states. “The population below 45 years of age is 101 crore. To vaccinate them, we need 202 crore doses and the cost of these will have to be borne by the states or the individuals themselves, he said.
“Based on this and assuming that states will present 50 % vaccination and people will bear 50 per cent of vaccination price, the revenue of the 2 vaccine producers — Serum Institute of India and Bharat Biotech — shall be Rs 1,11,100 crore,” he said.
Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram said there is a body of opinion that holds that even at Rs 150 per dose, the two current manufacturers will make a small profit. “If true, at Rs 400-1000, it will be profiteering. Perhaps that is what the government wants,” he wrote in a tweet.
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