This is an archive article published on February 28, 2021
Centre specifies comorbidities for vaccine eligibility, cap on charge at Rs 250 per dose
During the meeting, Bhushan informed states about the system of certifying people within the 45-59 age group with co-morbidities specified by the government.
Max Healthcare Chairman and Managing Director Abhay Soi said that around 12 of the chain’s hospitals already have experience vaccinating around 18,000 of its healthcare workers in the earlier phase of the campaign.
THE CENTRAL Government has capped the cost of a single Covid vaccine dose at Rs 250 per person in private healthcare facilities for those above the age of 60 and those above the age of 45 years with associated co-morbidities, who will be eligible for vaccination in next phase starting March 1.
On Saturday, Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan told senior state officials of the National Health Mission that private hospitals functioning as Covid Vaccination Centres (CVCs) “can charge subject to a ceiling of Rs 250 per person per dose”.
The states were also informed that around 10,000 private hospitals under Ayushman Bharat-PMJAY and 687 private hospitals under CGHS can be used by states as CVCs. The Centre will also share georeference maps with GPS coordinates of all such facilities that will serve as CVCs.
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During the meeting, Bhushan informed states about the system of certifying people within the 45-59 age group with co-morbidities specified by the government. The Health Secretary told states about the one-page certificate to be signed by a registered medical practitioner that can be uploaded on Co-WIN2.0 by the beneficiary while self-registering. A hard copy can also be carried by the beneficiary to the CVC, he said.
The listed co-morbidities for beneficiaries in the 45-59 age group are:
heart failure with hospital admission in past one year
post cardiac transplant/left ventricular assist device
significant left ventricular systolic dysfunction (LVEF, less than 40 per cent)
moderate or severe valvular heart disease
congenital heart disease
coronary artery disease and hypertension or diabetes on treatment
angina and hypertension or diabetes on treatment
CT/MRI documented stroke and hypertension or diabetes on treatment
pulmonary artery hypertension and hypertension or diabetes on treatment
current prolonged use of oral corticosteroids or immunosuppressant medications
decompensated cirrhosis
severe respiratory disease with hospitalisation in last two year
lymphoma or leukaemia or myeloma
diagnosis of any solid cancer on or after July 1, 2020, or currently on any cancer therapy
sickle cell disease or bone marrow failure or thalassemia major
primary immunodeficiency disease or HIV infection
persons worth disabilities due to intellectual disability or acid attack with involvement of respiratory system or person with disabilities having high support needs or multiple disabilities including deaf blindness.
Kaunain Sheriff M is an award-winning investigative journalist and the National Health Editor at The Indian Express. He is the author of Johnson & Johnson Files: The Indian Secrets of a Global Giant, an investigation into one of the world’s most powerful pharmaceutical companies.
With over a decade of experience, Kaunain brings deep expertise in three areas of investigative journalism: law, health, and data. He currently leads The Indian Express newsroom’s in-depth coverage of health.
His work has earned some of the most prestigious honours in journalism, including the Ramnath Goenka Award for Excellence in Journalism, the Society of Publishers in Asia (SOPA) Award, and the Mumbai Press Club’s Red Ink Award.
Kaunain has also collaborated on major global investigations. He was part of the Implant Files project with the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ), which exposed malpractices in the medical device industry across the world. He also contributed to an international investigation that uncovered how a Chinese big-data firm was monitoring thousands of prominent Indian individuals and institutions in real time.
Over the years, he has reported on several high-profile criminal trials, including the Hashimpura massacre, the 2G spectrum scam, and the coal block allocation case. Within The Indian Express, he has been honoured three times with the Indian Express Excellence Award for his investigations—on the anti-Sikh riots, the Vyapam exam scam, and the abuse of the National Security Act in Uttar Pradesh. ... Read More
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