Crackdown on hotel packages

In a letter to states and UTs on Sunday, additional secretary to health ministry Manohar Agnani has asked officials to initiate action against private hospitals that are giving packages for Covid vaccination in collaboration with some hotels, which is against the guidelines issued for the National Covid Vaccination Programme.

ADVERTISEMENT WHICH WENT VIRAL ANNOUNCED A VACCINE PACKAGE STARTING AT ₹2,999. INCLUDING A COMFORTABLE STAY, VACCINATION BY EXPERTS

As a social media post of a famous hotel chain offering a vaccination package in Hyderabad’s Hitec city went viral with several political leaders pointing out the disparity in the vaccine situation of the country, the Union health ministry said administrative action will be taken against such hotels and private hospitals agreeing to sell the vaccines.

In a letter addressed to all states and Union territories, the health ministry reiterated that four avenues for vaccination are permitted — government Covid vaccination centres, private centres run by private hospitals, workplace vaccination centres run by either government or private hospitals, and special centres at housing societies, community centres, panchayat bhawans, schools/colleges and old age homes.

All such programmes being carried out in hotels need to be stopped immediately, it said.

The advertisement which went viral announced a vaccine package starting at ₹2,999 including a comfortable stay, vaccination by experts from a renowned hospital, a healthy breakfast and dinner, on-request clinical consultation and Wi-Fi.

AAP leader flagged post

AAP leader Raghav Chadha shared one such post and said the Centre has facilitated such a vaccination package by ensuring a steady supply to private hospitals, while state-run centres which offer free vaccination have no stock.