States must jointly negotiate uniform vaccine price with producers: Chidambaram
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The senior Congress chief additionally accused the Central authorities of getting abdicated its duty and surrendering to company profiteering.
Terming the Centre’s choice to permit a number of costs for vaccines “discriminatory”, senior Congress chief P. Chidambaram on Friday recommended States to jointly kind a price negotiation committee to work out a uniform fee with the producers.
Mr. Chidambaram additionally accused the Central authorities of getting abdicated its duty and surrendering to company profiteering.
“The Central government’s decision to allow multiple prices for vaccines is discriminatory and regressive. States must unanimously reject the decision. The best way forward is for the State governments to jointly form a Price Negotiation Committee and offer to negotiate a uniform price with the two vaccine manufacturers,” the Congress chief mentioned in a collection of tweets.
He mentioned the joint buying energy of the State governments would drive the producers to conform to a uniform price.
“States must take the initiative. The Central government has abdicated its responsibility and surrendered to corporate profiteering,” Mr. Chidambaram added.
The Centre introduced on Monday that everybody above 18 years of age will probably be eligible for COVID-19 vaccination from May 1, whereas non-public hospitals and States will be capable to purchase the pictures from producers.
It additionally mentioned vaccine producers can be free to provide 50% of the doses to the State governments and within the open marketplace for which they should make an advance declaration of the price earlier than May 1.
Serum Institute of India introduced a price of ₹400 per dose for its COVID-19 vaccine ‘Covishield’ for State governments and ₹600 per dose for personal hospitals.
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