tech2 News StaffApr 28, 2021 15:46:54 IST
Dr K P Aravindan, a member of the Kerala government COVID-19 expert panel, and Dr Praveen G Pai, a Public Health Specialist, with assistance from Software Freedom Law Centre, India (SFLC.in), have filed a writ petition challenging the Liberalised Pricing and Accelerated National COVID-19 Vaccination strategy before the Kerala High Court. The petition was filed on 27 April 2021. The petition was moved after the Liberalised Pricing and Accelerated National COVID-19 Vaccination policy opened vaccinations for people between the age of 18 and 45 years starting 1 May. It claims that the government has a “faulty approach and unconscionable vaccination policies”.
The petition claims that the differential pricing structure for vaccines in India will “result in low coverage of the targeted population thereby putting at risk the entire population of India. This will consequently lead to a violation of Right to health.”
Representational image via PTI
For the uninitiated, the liberalised policy allows multiway procurement and a differential pricing for the vaccines. There are currently two vaccine manufacturers supplying in India. The Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech has fixed the price of its COVID-19 vaccine, Covaxin, at Rs 600 per dose for state governments and at Rs 1,200 per dose for private hospitals. The Pune-based Serum Institute of India (SII), the world’s largest vaccine maker in terms of volume, has announced a price of Rs 400 per dose for its COVID-19 vaccine, ‘Covishield’, for state governments and Rs 600 per dose for private hospitals. Both vaccines are available to the central government at a rate of Rs 150 per dose.
The petitioners highlight that the cost of COVID-19 vaccine in India is the highest in the world. “The Oxford AstraZeneca Vaccine being manufactured by the SII is a publicly funded vaccine and charging an exorbitant price is unjustifiable,” the petition reads.
The petition further suggests that the vaccine should fall under National Essential Medicines list which is a list of essential drugs that have their prices capped.
Further, the write petition also emphasises that the government should give access to the COVID-19 vaccine technology to more manufacturers so that the vaccine is available to more people and faster.
Meanwhile, another plea has been filed in the Kerala High Court by M K Muneer, Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Kerala assembly alleging that Liberalised Pricing and Accelerated National COVID-19 Vaccination Strategy issued by the Centre was violative of Article 14, 19 and 21 of the Constitution. The court has issued notice to the central government on the plea, challenging its “discriminatory COVID-19 vaccination policy”.
The petitioner said that by virtue of the new policy, dual pricing of vaccines has been allowed and states are forced to contend with private players to purchase the vaccines in the open market, whilst the central government procures them at a discounted/ subsidised rate, according to a report by PTI.
