No Covid vaccine stocks in Bengaluru's private hospitals

Amid the government’s thrust on increasing Covid vaccination coverage, a reality check by DH shows that many private hospitals in Bengaluru have no vaccine stocks.

While the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has no Covishield doses, and only over a lakh doses of Covaxin, random calls to 18 hospitals, including well-known private and charitable hospitals, showed that only five had vaccine stocks.

Many said they had no stocks or had stopped vaccination months ago.

Even among the five hospitals that offered vaccines, two said they give vaccines only if a total of 10 people seek vaccines a day to avoid wastage.

On checking the Arogya Setu app for hospitals with vaccine availability in Bengaluru, only 32 hospitals were shown to have vaccines.

On the app, on checking 110 pin codes - starting from 560001 to 560110 - that cover much of Bengaluru, several of these pin codes did not even have one hospital with vaccines.

Further, on calling 10 of these listed hospitals, only four said they had Covaxin doses, whereas Covishield was available in most.

Dr Yatheesh Govindaiah, president of the Private Hospitals & Nursing Homes Association (PHANA), says that all hospitals that offer vaccines would be registered on the Arogya Setu app.

He attributed the low numbers to the fact that private hospitals are waiting to see if the demand for vaccines would rise and persist, and if companies come forward to sponsor booster doses for their employees.

Some city hospitals are already procuring vaccines from other hospital chains. Also, manufacturers, mainly Serum Institute of India, are approaching hospitals with offers, says Dr Yatheesh.

Hospitals are reporting a gradual rise in the vaccine demand since the government’s alert. At Manipal Hospital, HAL Airport Road, the number of vaccine beneficiaries have risen from just 56 in November to 729 in December - a 13-fold rise.

At Fortis Hospital, Bannerghatta Road, 30-40 people get vaccinated daily, says medical director Dr Priya Goutham.

Dr Yatheesh, who is associated with Apollo Hospitals, says that the hospital’s three units together vaccinate 300 people daily now. However, the numbers are not comparable to the demand earlier for the first and second doses, when the three hospitals together vaccinated around 20,000 people at the peak, he says.

Of the 15 hospitals with vaccines, a majority offered vaccines at Rs 386 fixed in the Arogya Setu app, but three hospitals demanded Rs 500 each and one hospital Rs 400. Dr Yatheesh says hospitals should charge only the fixed rate of Rs 386.