Covid Surge: Central govt can't shrug off its responsibilities

As the nation is battling Covid-19 infections, is the Center taking the crisis seriously? Can the Center shrug off its responsibilities at such a juncture?

Hyderabad: The nation is taken aback by the ferocity of the Covid resurgence in the second wave. Notwithstanding the experiences from the USA and Europe that the second wave of the Covid pandemic will be savage, our government did not bother to take precautionary measures and left medical preparedness to the winds. It is these non-committal ways that made Covid so lethal in this second wave resurgence.

Though Prime Minister Narendra Modi has claimed that there was an improvement in the ground level situation compared to the conditions witnessed during the same time last year; the three-fold surge of positive cases and the high rate of mortalities present a different scenario.

The Center had also claimed that the Covid testing centers were increased to 2500, but the fact remains that testing was stopped for two days in Delhi due to the heavy rush of patients. The shortage of hospital beds also exposed the hollowness of the government's claims that numerous Covid special hospitals were established.

The avoidable mortalities due to oxygen shortage are heart-wrenching. India exported 6.6 crore doses of Covid vaccines to more than 70 countries till day. However, today the country has no vaccine stocks for its citizens. The inaction of the governments is evident from the statements of the young doctors who are lamenting that patients are dying from curable medical issues.

Though the Center gave clearance to establish 162 Oxygen production centers, only one-fifth of them were operationalised. The country would not have been grieving today with 3 lakh positive cases and ten percent fatalities if the task force appointed by the Prime Minister to control Covid-19 had properly done its duty.

The present vaccine policy of the government is not reassuring. India manufactures 60 percent of vaccines produced in the entire world. It is shocking to note that such a country is witnessing a shortage of vaccines. The whole world believes that vaccines can, to a considerable extent, avert the Covid threat by preventing mortalities and also preventing the virus from spreading further.

Even when the Covid vaccines were at the experimental stage, the USA ordered 60 crore doses for its 30 crore population and made full payment for that in advance. With its 130 crore population, India merely ordered 1.10 crore doses.

Though the phased vaccination program commenced on January 16, only 37 percent of the 3 crore frontline warriors got the vaccine in the first phase. The government then allowed vaccination for everyone aged between 45 and 60 years. However, the situation today is that several Indian states are left begging for vaccines.

Delay in deciding on the application submitted by vaccine manufacturers to allow production capacity enhancement, a lapse of time in allowing the three public sector organizations to participate in the vaccine manufacturing, led the virus to mutate and increase its strength.

In the latest development, the government provided financial assistance to the vaccine manufacturers. On the other hand, it has announced universal adult vaccination, making all above 18 years eligible for a vaccine jab. The Union government has retained the responsibility of vaccinating the population above the age of 45 while the responsibility of the remaining age groups is left to the states and the private sector.

People are already suffering severe financial hardships due to eroded job opportunities. State governments are also facing a financial crunch as a result of a severe shortfall in revenue. It is irrational on the part of the Center to wash its hands off at such a critical juncture. While the vaccine stocks are limited, all the states are competing for the same. This unequal competition is also striking at the very roots of the country's federal spirit.

Will it ever be possible to control the surging deaths by Covid-19, if the Center does not assure universal free vaccination and production of the vaccines?