Punjab government recalls order to supply vaccines to private hospitals

The Punjab government has rescinded an earlier order that provided vaccines to people between the ages of 18 and 44 via private hospitals.

A freshly issued order directed private hospitals to return all the doses available to them; they will also have to replace any doses already used from future supplies.

The order - signed by the state's vaccination in-charge, Vikas Garg - indicated that hospitals' deposits in the Vaccine Fund would be returned.


"Chief Minister ordered to recall the decision and recall all vaccines which were given to private hospitals, the government will rectify its mistake as soon as possible. The rate was not decided, we will vaccinate people free of cost, Covaxin was given to them, we received through you this news and we returned the order," Punjab Health Minister Balbir Singh Sidhu said at a press conference.

These developments come in the wake of Punjab's Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) accusing the Amarinder Singh government of 'diverting' vaccines to private hospitals at 'high prices.'

SAD President Sukhbir Singh Badal has accused the Congress government of running a scam, and further lobbied for the Health Minister to be arrested.


Meanwhile, Sidhu says an investigation has been ordered into the matter.

"What I have learnt through media, I have already ordered for a probe and we will order a proper inquiry. We will keep the issue before the chief minister," Sidhu told PTI earlier in the day.