PHIs have no objections to private sector joining vaccination programme

Vaccine import should be state preserve – lab technologists

By Rathindra Kuruwita

The government could allow the private sector to import COVID-19 vaccines if the state was unable to procure the required number of vaccine doses, Head of the Public Health Inspectors’ (PHIs) Union, M.G. Upul Rohana said yesterday.

Rohana, however, told the media that the private sector should be properly monitored by the National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA).

“During the past few weeks a large number of factory workers tested positive for COIVID-19 It is obvious that they should be prioritised. If the government can’t deliver the necessary number of vaccine doses, the private sector must be allowed to come in.”

President of the College of Medical Laboratory Science, Ravi Kumudesh said that while there was no problem with allowing the well off to purchase the COVID-19 vaccine from private hospitals, the private entities should procure the vaccines from the state sector so that the government could recover part of the cost of fighting the virus.

Kumudesh was commenting on requests made by certain private sector companies to allow them to import vaccines for sale. He said that while his association had no objections to the private sector selling vaccines to those with means, but the import of the vaccines should be handled by the state.

“There are several reasons for this. The government has spent colossal amounts of money for COVID-19 prevention. It will continue to do so in the future as well. Therefore, if money is to be made from the sale of the vaccines, the government should get part of the profits to fund the vaccination and disease prevention programmes.

Kumudesh said only the state should be allowed to import vaccines to ensure that the private sector did not take advantage of the situation to make colossal profits at the expense of the public.