Pay for jabs for poor: Maharashtra to tell Centre

Rajesh Tope said the vaccine will not be sold in the private market. Representation pic/Ashish Raje

The Maharashtra government wants the Centre to bear the entire cost of the COVID-19 vaccine to be given to all the people who cannot afford to pay for it. Health Minister Rajesh Tope said on Tuesday that he would put forth the state's demand before Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan at a meeting scheduled to be held on January 7. He said the rich and affluent should be asked to pay, but it must be ensured that the poor get free vaccines.

"We are of the opinion that vaccination should be free for all. According to the union health minister's social media post, the Centre will pay for the 30 crore priority beneficiaries, which is a mere 3 per cent of the country's population. There is no clarity over such issues," Tope told a media conference on Tuesday in Mumbai.

Tope said the people below the poverty line and the lower middle class should also be beneficiaries of free vaccination. "The rich and affluent can pay for vaccines. But paying R500 for two doses per person may not be possible for the poor. However, if the Centre doesn't take any decision, the Maharashtra chief minister and deputy chief minister will take a proper decision about the state. No needy and poor will be left to fend for himself/herself by the MVA government," he added.

Before the national dry run is held on January 8, Tope said he isn't sure whether vaccination would be compulsory for all. "What we understand now is that the healthcare and frontline workers who are registered, will get the vaccine under priority programme. The vaccination for others should start after the priority programme is over," he said, adding that the vaccine will not be sold in the private market.

Don't panic over UK strain

Tope said there was nothing to worry about the situation created by the mutated virus from the UK. "We're following the new protocol. We have eight infected people in Maharashtra whose contacts have been traced and found to be negative for the infection," he said.

"Maharashtra was the first to quarantine the fliers after landing. The measure helped us in controlling the more contagious virus type. However, the situation after landing from the UK in other states cannot be said to be safe unless the passengers are tested and sent to institutional isolation and quarantine. In the absence of such precautionary measures, the infected passengers can create problems for the state where they land and travel inland to their destinations in other states," added Tope. He said the Maharashtra government has requested the Civil Aviation Ministry to consider its suggestion about testing and quarantine for travellers.