Legal action to be taken against private hospitals giving COVID-19 vaccination packages with hotels: Centre

The Centre has warned hotels that are offering packages for COVID-19 vaccination. The centre has asked states and union territories to begin legal actions against institutions that are violating the prescribed guidelines.

Union health minister Dr Harsh Vardhan tweeted, “Hotels offering COVID-19 vaccination packages shall face strict legal action! Such activities are in contravention to rules under the National COVID-19 vaccination program and must cease immediately.”

Hotels offering #COVID19Vaccination packages shall face strict legal action!

Such activities are in contravention to rules under the Nat’l COVID vaccination program and must cease immediately.#LargestVaccineDrive @MoHFW_INDIA pic.twitter.com/e5AIVfnl7z

— Dr Harsh Vardhan (@drharshvardhan) May 29, 2021

The letter written to states/ Union Territories (UTs) reads, “It has come to the notice of Union Health Ministry that some private hospitals are giving packages for COVID Vaccination in collaboration with some hotels, which is against the guidelines issued for the National COVID Vaccination program.”  

As per COVID-19 vaccination guidelines, only four options are available for carrying out COVID-19 vaccine such as, in the government COVID vaccination centres, private COVID -19 vaccination centre run by a private hospital, Workplace COVID vaccination centre at government offices to be run by government hospitals and at private companies to be run by private hospitals, and near to home COVID-19 vaccination centre for the elderly and differently-abled person to be organised at group housing societies, RWA offices, community centres, panchayat Bhawans, schools/colleges, old age home etc. on a temporary basis.

The letter added, "Apart from this there are no other avenues to carry out vaccination under the national COVID-19 vaccination programme. Therefore, vaccination carried out in star hotels is contrary to the guidelines and must be stopped immediately."