The administration of the Sputnik V vaccines will begin in the two hospitals - Faith Hospital, Dimapur and Bethesda Hospital, Kohima from July 12. (Photo Courtesy: https://sputnikvaccine.com/)
• Available at Faith Hospital, Dimapur and Bethesda Hospital, Kohima
• Vaccine being made available for 4800 persons initially
• Cost of per dose is Rs 1145
Kohima, July 11 (MExN): Eligible beneficiaries in Nagaland have now two options to choose for vaccination against COVID-19, at least for those in Dimapur and Kohima, according to a State Health official.
Sputnik V, the two-dose COVID-19 vaccine from Russia, will be available for administration at two private hospitals - Faith Hospital in Dimapur and Bethesda Hospital in Kohima from July 12.
However, unlike the other vaccine – COVISHIELD, which is available for free through the Government of India immunisation policy, Sputnik V is available only on payment for those opting for the vaccine.
“To increase coverage of vaccination against COVID-19 in the State, the Government of Nagaland has facilitated procurement of Sputnik V vaccine from Dr. Reddy's Laboratories Hyderabad as an additional vaccine option,” the State Immunization Officer (SIO), Directorate of Health & Family Welfare, Dr Ritu Thurr informed in a press release.
The administration of the Sputnik V vaccines will begin in the two hospitals as mentioned above from July 12 and will be offered from Monday to Saturday every week from 10AM to 4 PM, it said.
The minimum gap between the 1st and 2nd dose of Sputnik V is 21 days, he added.
How much will Sputnik V cost?
As per an office memorandum by the Union Ministry of Health & Family Welfare issued on June 8, the rate of the Sputnik V with 5% GST per dose is Rs. 995.40 and the private hospitals administering the vaccine charge Rs 150, over and above the rate of the vaccines as service charges and for consumables, the SIO said.
The total rate payable by the beneficiaries availing the Sputnik V vaccines at private hospital per dose will be thus Rs 1145, he informed.
Initially, vaccine is being made available for 4800 persons at Bethesda Hospital, Kohima (Helpline number 9485238298) and Faith Hospital, Dimapur (Helpline number 9077747777), he added.
How to book the slots?
Sputnik V vaccine can be availed of by all eligible beneficiaries who are 18 years and above through advance booking via COWIN platform (https://selfregistration.cowin.gov.in/ ) with the provision for onspot registration too.
The process of registration and booking on COWIN will remain the same as for COVISHIELD and beneficiary will need to produce a valid Identity card (Aadhaar, Driving Licence, PAN Card, Passport, Pension Passbook, Voter’s ID-EPIC) and a valid mobile number. A total of 4 persons can be booked from a single mobile number.
“All those who haven't taken any dose of COVISHIELD or any other vaccine against COVID-19 and are interested in getting vaccinated by Sputnik V, may kindly avail themselves of the opportunity and contact the two hospitals as mentioned above,” Dr Thurr further stated.
What is Sputnik V?
Made by the Gamaleya Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology in Moscow, Sputnik V is a two-dose vaccine and considered as the first vaccine to be registered against COVID-19 in the world.
According the Dr Reddy's Laboratories Hyderabad, the ‘brand custodian of the Sputnik V in India’ and having the ‘sole distribution right of the first 250 million doses in India,’ the Sputnik V is the first vaccine to be registered against COVID-19 in the world and has a confirmed efficacy of 91.6%.
It was third vaccine to get approval from the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) for ‘Emergency Use Authorisation.’
According to an official update on Twitter, Sputnik V is now authorised for emergency use in 67 countries across the world.
