Hyderabad: The Covid pandemic is playing the drumbeat of death with 50 lakh new cases reported in the country in a span of a fortnight. While America and Brazil occupy the first two positions, India stands third in the list of countries that registered the highest covid mortalities. With a heavy heart one has to note that in the second wave, a third of the global covid mortalities are being reported from India.
The governments of the day had thrown to the winds all the covid precautions as soon as the intensity of the covid first wave dipped a bit. The negligence of the governments is to be blamed for the covid hardships that befell crores of countrymen. In the comity of World nations, India is considered like the elder brother in vaccine production. Because of the short-sighted policies followed by the leaders, the country is witnessing a horrible shortage of covid vaccine.
In a phased manner, the Center relaxed the age limit of vaccine beneficiaries. Several experts from the public health sector are voicing strong concerns over the manner in which the Center has stayed clear of the responsibility to vaccinate the 18-45 age group. They are terming as dangerous the Center’s move to entrust the responsibility to distribute the vaccine to States while leaving the authority to decide the vaccine price to the manufacturers.
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The Supreme Court has questioned the Center as to why the universal immunisation model being followed for decades has been set aside in connection with covid vaccination. The apex court also wanted a serious rethink of the policy being followed at present. Referring to vulnerable sections such as migrant labourers and maintaining that the ultimate objective of vaccination was to ensure public health, the court asked “where will the poor get the resources to buy vaccine?”
The bench felt that the Center’s vaccination policy seems to be at variance with the right to life enshrined by the Constitution of India. Governments should open their eyes at least now to save the country from the fangs of Covid.
The Modi government has informed the court that there were 4.68 lakh beds in the more than 2000 covid hospitals run by the Central and State governments. Though the government claims that a three-tier system has been established for providing treatment to covid patients, it remains a fact that the entire public health sector has collapsed under the weight of the pandemic as the country’s active covid cases crossed 35 lakhs.
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The death of thousands of unfortunate patients due to lack of beds at hospitals and unavailability of oxygen is undoubtedly a man-made calamity. It is worth noting that though the erstwhile US President Donald Trump suffered the loss of esteem by making laughable remarks on Coronavirus, his administration earmarked 2000 crore USD for vaccine research and production under the scheme titled “Rap Speed”. America is feeling safe today because of his action on that day. Countries like Israel made a full advance payment to vaccine manufacturers in May last year. Such countries are also feeling secure today.
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While 116 crore doses of vaccine has been utilised in the World till date, India stands 74th in the global list of countries that vaccinated their people. Because of the leadership’s lack of foresight the country is going to grapple with vaccine shortage till the month of July. While the people are crying hoarse for oxygen and life-saving drugs, the 300 tonnes of emergency medical equipment, which came to India as humanitarian aid from foreign countries, remains at the Delhi airport since the past many days. Such callous attitude is bound to cause heart burn among citizens. Governments should immediately act to remove such callous attitude from public servants. They should follow a scientific action plan if the Covid pandemic is to be brought under control.
