Vaccine doses in private hospitals under scrutiny

HC questions different criteria for private hospitals and government hospitals

The High Court of Karnataka on Thursday directed both the Centre and State government to consider issuing directions to private hospitals on the vaccination process. It did so after taking note of the situation created by restricting COVID-19 vaccines only for frontline workers and priority groups for those aged 18-44 in all government vaccination centres, but not in private hospitals. A special division bench comprising Chief Justice Abhay Shreeniwas Oka and Justice Aravind Kumar issued the directions while hearing PIL petitions related to issues cropping up due to COVID-19. Pointing out several anomalies in the vaccination process in Karnataka, the bench noted that Covaxin, supply of which is much lesser than required, is being utilised only for the second dose for those aged above 45 years in government centres. But private hospitals are administering this vaccine, both the first and second dose, for anyone over the age of 18. Private hospitals are administering Covishield first and second dose to anyone over the age of 18, the bench noted.