Two Delhi hospitals vaccinating ineligible people: Centre

Asks State govt. to seek explanation and, if necessary, depanel them

Two private healthcare facilities here, Vidyasagar Institute of Mental Health (VIMHANS) and Bensups Hospital, have been registering beneficiaries below 45 years as ‘healthcare workers (HCW)’ and ‘frontline workers (FLW)’ and vaccinating them. The Health Ministry has marked this out as a “serious lapse” and has asked the Delhi government to seek an explanation from the hospitals and, if necessary, “depanel” them, according to press statement on Monday. India’s current vaccination rules permit anyone above 45 to get themselves vaccinated. Before April 1, only those over 60 and those over 45 with comorbidities were eligible. On April 3, Health Secretary, Rajesh Bhushan, had written to health authorities in all States that “ineligible beneficiaries” were being registered as HCW and FLW and vaccinated. This led to the HCW database increasing by 24% and therefore the apex vaccination committee, the NEGVAC, had decided on Saturday to bar all registrations in the HCW and FLW category.