INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
New Delhi: Under pressure to open vaccines for all age groups as Covid-19 cases rise in India, the Centre on Monday revealed that
vaccinations will be readily available to all above the age of 18 from May 1
In another significant shift in vaccine policy, the Centre also enabled states to directly acquire vaccine dosages from manufacturers
Vaccine makers have actually been asked to provide 50 percent of their stock to the Centre, and divided the rest 50 percent between state
federal governments and the open market.The decision for liberalised and accelerated Phase 3 Covid-19 vaccination drive from May 1 was
revealed after Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a series of meetings over India's reaction to tape day-to-day rises in Covid cases
With Covid-19 cases increasing at a disconcerting speed and health center beds, oxygen supply and medications in short supply, the federal
government was under incredible pressure to open vaccination and allow states access to medical essentials.India on Monday reported 2.74
lakh cases and 1, 619 deaths.As per the choices, taken after Mr Modi held a series of meetings with physicians and leaders of the
pharmaceutical market, prices, procurement, eligibility and administration of vaccines have actually been made flexible in Phase 3 and all
stakeholders have actually been offered versatility to customise to regional needs
Vaccines in the government sector will continue to be administered totally free of cost
States too have been provided the flexibility to acquire additional vaccine doses directly from the producers while the Centre will also
Vaccine makers can scale up their production along with draw in new national and international players
Private medical facilities would need to acquire their supplies of Covid-19 vaccine from the 50 per cent supply allocated for states or from
Private vaccination providers will need to declare their self-set vaccination price.Government will allow the imported ready-to-use vaccines
to be utilised in the economic sector and state centers
Centre, from its share, will assign vaccines to states/UTs based upon the requirements of level of infection (number of active Covid cases)
and performance (speed of administration)
By the way, this relocation comes a day after previous Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh wrote a letter to PM Modi urging him to ramp up
vaccination efforts and let states decide priorities for age
Dr Singh was himself admitted in New Delhi AIIMS on Monday after checking favorable for Covid-19
However, the letter written by Dr Singh was not gotten by the federal government in the same spirit of positive cooperation
In a rather terse reply, Union health minister Dr Harsh Vardhan responded to the previous Prime Minister and offered a political spin to his
ideas, stating the Congress leader ought to first advise his junior celebration leaders who have been crucial of the Centre's vaccine
History shall be kinder to you Dr Manmohan Singh ji if your deal of 'positive cooperation' and valuable advice was followed by your
@INCIndia leaders too in such extraordinary times! Dr Harsh Vardhan stated while connecting his reply to the mild-mannered Dr Singh on
Twitter only to deal with criticism on social networks with netizens accusing him of playing politics at this time of pandemic rather of
taking suggestions.The federal government has actually been scrambling for a response as the second wave has exposed the nation's weak and
disinterested health care system more than the very first wave
With Covid-19 cases shooting, and the circumstance getting worse every day, painful stories have actually been emerging of medical
facilities overflowing with clients, patients suffering and passing away due to lack of medicines, oxygen and hospital beds
Dealing with severe criticism for its bad handling of the Covid-19 pandemic, and for preferring elections and Kumbh Mela to public health,
the Union government on Monday went into a huddle to discover methods to twitch out of this politically volatile scenario
Miffed with the handling of the circumstance on ground, Allahabad high court on Monday actioned in and purchased lockdown in five prominent
cities of Uttar Pradesh-- Lucknow, Prayagraj, Varanasi, Kanpur and Gorakhpur-- till April 26 to contain the infection spread
If popular federal government has its own political obsessions in not examining public motions throughout a pandemic, we can not stay
simple passive spectators, it said
In any civilized society if the public health system is not able to meet the challenges and individuals die for desire of appropriate
medication, it means there has been no appropriate development
Health and education go side-by-side
Those in the helm of affairs of governance are to be blamed for today disorderly health problems and more so when there is democracy which
implies a federal government of individuals, by the individuals and for the people, the Allahabad HC observed while including: If people
pass away of pandemic in a great deal due to scarceness of enough medical aid it would be the federal governments to blame which failed to
counter the pandemic even after one long year of experience and learning
One would only laugh at us that we have enough to spend on elections and extremely little to invest in public health
