NCP (SP) leader Jayant Patil writes to Fadnavis opposing sale of DPT vaccine strain

Senior NCP SP leader Jayant Patil has raised strong objections to the proposed sale of the seed strain used in DPT Diphtheria Pertussis and Tetanus vaccines to a private company urging Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to immediately halt the process reported news agency PTIIn a letter addressed to the Chief Minister Patil expressed concern over what he termed a move to transfer a critical public health asset into private hands warning that such a decision could have longterm implications for affordable healthcare in the state reported PTIConcerns over transfer of critical biological assetPatil highlighted that the seed strain used for manufacturing DPT vaccines is a rare and invaluable biological resource with a market value running into thousands of crores of rupees He cautioned that transferring such an asset to a private entity could undermine public sector capabilities in vaccine productionThe proposal reportedly follows interest from Reliance Life Sciences which has offered to acquire the strain on commercial terms Patil noted that the government appears to have initiated steps in this direction raising serious concerns about transparency and intentHaffkine Corporation capable of producing vaccinesThe NCP SP leader stressed that the staterun Haffkine BioPharmaceutical Corporation already possesses the infrastructure and expertise required to manufacture DPT vaccines at affordable rates reported PTIHe argued that instead of selling the strain the government should empower the Haffkine Corporation to scale up production thereby ensuring wider access to essential vaccines while retaining control over a strategic resource reported PTILegacy of Waldemar Haffkine citedPatil also invoked the legacy of Waldemar Haffkine after whom the institute is named He pointed out that Haffkine a pioneering scientist developed lifesaving vaccines for humanity without seeking patents or commercial gain reported PTISelling the DPT seed strain Patil argued would go against the foundational principles and legacy of the institution which has historically focused on public welfare and scientific advancementOpposition leaders question urgency of proposalThe issue has also been flagged by Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar who raised concerns during the recent Budget session of the Maharashtra legislative assemblyWadettiwar questioned the urgency with which an Expression of Interest was floated by the Haffkine Institute following the proposal from Reliance Life Sciences He asked why a biological asset valued at approximately Rs 1500 crore should be transferred to a private entity when the staterun institute itself has the capacity to manufacture vaccines reported PTICall to cancel sale and prioritise public healthPatil urged the state government to cancel the proposed sale and instead direct the Haffkine Corporation to begin or expand vaccine production He maintained that such a move would ensure the continued availability of affordable vaccines while safeguarding a critical public health resource reported PTIEstablished in 1899 the Haffkine Institute is among Indiarsquos oldest biomedical research institutions engaged in research training and testing related to infectious diseases The controversy surrounding the proposed sale has sparked a broader debate over public versus private control of essential healthcare assetsWith inputs from PTI