AAP alleges COVID-19 vaccine scam as hotel provides 'Vaccination Package'; blames Centre

While India continues to ramp up its procuring and production capacity of the COVID-19 vaccination amid the reported shortage, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has launched an offensive against the Central government, accusing it of profiteering from the crunch of anti-COVID jabs. Sharing a hotel advertisement, which has allegedly offered a vaccination package, several AAP leaders attacked the Centre, claiming a 'vaccination scam' as private parties pilot creative COVID-19 vaccine packages at a time when there is a scarcity at government centres across the country. However, the planned campaign against the Centre by AAP leaders failed to note that the government had liberalised the COVID-19 vaccination strategy, allowing private parties to procure the jabs as well. 

Hotels providing Vaccination Package?

The 'Vaccination Package' pamphlet carrying the logo of Radisson Hotel Group, which has now gone viral on social media, offers customers a stay at the Radisson Hotel's Hitec City venture along with a COVID-19 vaccine by 'experts from a renowned hospital'. Pegged at Rs 2999, the viral 'Vaccination Package' pamphlet lists breakfast & dinner, clinical consultation and Wi-Fi as the offerings.

Meanwhile, the Radisson Hotel Group has clarified that it is not running the 'vaccination package' at a group level but instead it is a unit level activity introduced by the Hi Tec City franchise, which is managed by Sarovar. 

"We would like to clarify that Radisson Hotel Group is not running any such offers at a group level. This is localised activity by the hotel, which is a franchised unit and managed by another operator," the Radisson Hotel Group said in an official statement to Republic Media Network. 

Sharing the hotel's pamphlet, AAP national spokesperson Raghav Chadha tweeted that the Central government has ensured 'no shortage of vaccines' in the private sectors while state government-run vaccination centres which provide free doses are shut due to the non-availability of vaccines. The same pamphlet was shared by several AAP leaders with a common hashtag #VaccinationGhotala. 

Addressing a press conference on the same, Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia accused the Centre of maintaining a quid pro quo with private entities in the supply of COVID vaccines. Claiming that the Centre has been stating that there is a shortage of vaccines, Sisodia said that it continues to supply COVID jabs to private hospitals. 

"Due to Centre's management, no state has vaccines for the age group of 18-45. States have to shut down vaccination centre for the same age group. The Centre has told us that we will get vaccines for the 18-45 age group in June and not before June 10 that too in a limited supply. We had promised to vaccinate citizens within 3 months, but Centre exported vaccines, did not place timely orders, which is why there is a shortage of vaccines," the Delhi Deputy CM said. 

"What problem does the Centre have if we want to inoculate our citizens? When we ask Centre to provide us with vaccine, they respond by saying that there is a shortage but the Centre is providing private hospitals with doses, who are inoculating citizens at a much expensive price. What setting is this?" he added. 

Pertinently, reports of vaccine shortage started coming to the fore only after the vaccination drive was opened to all adults above the age of 18 years, removing barriers of the prioritized group. The Centre had opened up the inoculation drive amid the growing chorus demanding the same, which included the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Delhi that claimed to vaccinate all adults within three months. Following the demand, the Centre announced that everyone above the age of 18 will be eligible to receive COVID-19 vaccine shots from May 1. 

Centre allows private procurement

According to the Liberalised Pricing and Accelerated National COVID-19 Vaccination Strategy, COVID-19 vaccination will continue to be free for eligible population groups comprising health care workers, frontline workers and population above 45 years of age in government COVID vaccination centres which receive doses from the Government of India. Private hospitals would have to procure their supplies of COVID-19 vaccine exclusively from the 50 per cent supply earmarked for other than the Government of India channel, the new policy read. 

Now with vaccine shortage hitting the country, several states have taken a u-turn demanding centralised vaccine procurement policies as several state government's fail to receive any bid despite floating a global tender for COVID vaccines. In a letter to PM Modi last week, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said that it will take 30 months to vaccinate people in this category if the supply crisis continues. The chief minister also wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, requesting him to ensure an immediate supply of jabs and increase the quota for Delhi. As the country faces a shortage of vaccine, Kejriwal gave four suggestions to Modi, including procurement of vaccines from foreign manufacturers and inviting firms for production in India, part of which are already in transit. 

India To Get Vaccinations On-demand By August

While India faces an acute shortage of COVID-19 vaccines, sources have said that from August onwards, citizens of the country would not have to register in advance or stand in long queues, and would simply be able to go and get vaccinated. This is on account of the country aiming to have 8-10 vaccine companies at its disposal by August and to manufacture over 300 crore vaccine doses by the end of the year, a figure that is double the country population. Union Health Ministry has announced that the 216 crore doses of COVID vaccines would be manufactured in India between August to December 2021, while Niti Aayog Member Dr VK Paul later informed that the number is likely to reach 300 crore doses by the first quarter of 2022. Global pharma firms Pfizer and Moderna are also in talks with the government to provide doses of their COVID vaccines, as per sources. Bharat Biotech's COVAXIN has received a major boost to production, with the government providing financial assist in setting up of several manufacturing units as well.