COVID-19 vaccination: For safe reopening of schools, Centre looks to private hospitals

Express News Service

NEW DELHI: Amid a debate to reopen the schools across India, the Union health ministry has sought the support of private hospitals in vaccinating teachers free of cost under the CSR initiative.

There are about 75 lakh school teachers — in both government and private schools — of which less than 20 % are vaccinated, as per the estimates.

For vaccinating them, The New Indian Express has learnt, private hospitals were urged to seek funding support from MNCs and other companies.

Sources said that a meeting between health ministry officials and representatives of private hospitals took place last week in which the government sought the support of corporates ahead of issuing guidelines on cautious reopening of schools. 

“Once the private hospitals start offering this service, this initiative will also be widely publicised to get more teachers to avail the vaccine free at vaccination centres,” said a ministry official. 

“Following this suggestion, we have already written to some companies such as Amazon to help hospitals across India and are writing to several others,” said Girdhar J Gyani, DG, Association of Healthcare Providers of India.

“This push will also accelerate vaccinations at smaller hospitals in tier 2 and 3 towns.” 

In a July 30 circular, the Corporate Affairs ministry had said that funds spent on Covid vaccination for individuals other than employees and their families will be considered as CSR expenditure.

In March, it had said that spending on Covid would be considered as a CSR activity.

While some states such as Bihar, MP, UP and Odisha have either opened or are planning to open the schools for secondary and senior secondary level schools on a rotation basis, they are completely shut in most states since the beginning of the pandemic in March, 2020. 

Last month, top officials, including ICMR director general Balaram Bhargava and AIIMS- Delhi director Randeep Guleria, had suggested that primary schools can be opened first in districts reporting less than 5 % Covid positivity rates.

It was, however, recommended that full vaccination of teachers and all support staff should be ensured before classes commence in offline mode.