"It includes 34 lakh of those who were registered on Monday while the last I checked in the morning, more than 5 lakh people had registered themselves on the portal," he informed.

 

However, the minister said that the actual number of registration could be higher. "As you know that from a single number, a person can register as many as four beneficiaries. Even if we reduce it to two, the number of actual registration may have gone beyond 70 lakh," he guessed.

 

Harsh Vardhan revealed the information after interacting with the media after taking his vaccine shot at the Delhi Heart and Lung Institute. He came along with his wife who also received the shot.

 

The couple chose the private hospital where they paid Rs 250 each for the doses received. By choosing a private facility over a public, Vardhan sent out a clear message which he reiterated that a person having the capacity to afford the costs of the vaccine, must get inoculated in a private facility.

 

"I want to appeal to everyone that those who can afford the vaccine, should get it from the private hospital nearest to the home," he said.

 

Meanwhile the minister also spoke about the "vaccine maitri" programme of India in which the country has sent and continues to deliver lakhs of Covid vaccine doses to other nations.

 

"We have sent our vaccines to around 40 countries and about three to four dozens of nations will receive them shorty as well," Vardhan informed.

 

Earlier, in an exclusive interaction with IANS, Minister of External Affairs S Jaishankar had told IANS that the ministry will dispatch Covid vaccines to 36 nations scattered across the globe.

 

"It includes our neighbouring countries, South Asian nations, countries in the Gulf region, small islands near Australia, and South American countries. So I'll say that we are reaching out to nations across the globe," Jaishankar had informed IANS.

 

Vaccines are being provided free of charge at the government health facilities and on a payment basis in the private health facilities. All private hospitals can charge Rs 150 for vaccines and Rs 100 for service charges fixed by the central government.

 

Around 10,000 hospitals empanelled under Ayushman Bharat-PMJAY and 687 hospitals under CGHS can be used by states as Covid Vaccination Centres (CVCs).

 

Phase three of Covid vaccination covering 27 crore of population above aged above 60 and those above 45 with comorbidities started from Monday. The previous two phases were started with vaccination of around three crore of healthcare and frontline workers in India.