Covid-19: Centre to involve private sector in vaccination drive

New Delhi: Centre is reportedly planning to rope in the private sector in order to speed up the vaccination process as coronavirus has started increasing in several states.

So far, more than 1.07 crore vaccine doses have been administered to healthcare professionals and frontline workers.

Details of large-scale participation of the private sector in the COVID-19 vaccination drive will be available in “a matter of few days”, said Dr VK Paul, NITI Aayog member who heads the centre’s pandemic response team.

“Presently also, the private sector has been prominently involved in vaccinating healthcare and frontline workers. Out of 10,000 vaccination sessions on any given day, 2,000 are being conducted by private sector partners,” Dr Paul said.

“And as we move to a much speedier programme, the private sector engagement will become deeper and wider. It is a matter of a few days, just wait a little,” he added.

The Centre is eyeing up to 50,000 sessions each day. So far 67 per cent of registered health care workers (HCWs) and 40 per cent of frontline workers (FLWs) have been inoculated with the first dose of coronavirus vaccines.

Four states and UTs — Lakshadweep, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan — have vaccinated more than 75 per cent of registered HCWs and FLWs for the first dose. On the other hand, four states and UTs have reported less than 50 per cent coverage of registered HCWs for the first dose. These are Nagaland, Punjab, Chandigarh and Puducherry.