Cabinet approves procurement of anti-rabies vaccine for higher price

Thiruvananthapuram: The cabinet has approved the decision of the Kerala Medical Services Corporation Limited (KMSCL) to buy the anti-rabies vaccine ‘Equine Rabies Immune Globulin (ERIG)’ at a higher price.

The nod is for the issuance of the order for the purchase of 1.12 lakh vials for Rs 2.97 crore, which would see the authorities coughing up an additional Rs 112 for a single vial. The previous cabinet meeting postponed the decision on the vaccine purchase file due to opposition from the Finance Department.

Health Minister Veena George said the KMSCL is forced to procure the vaccine at a higher price since the price of the vaccine has gone up. Only two companies participated in the tender floated by the KMSCL, and the order was issued to the firm that quoted the lowest amount.

Many states, including Tamil Nadu, have also purchased the vaccines at a higher price than on the previous occasion, the minister pointed out.