No time to lose, ramp up vaccine production now
The Supreme Court’s reference to the various high courts hearing matters related to the supply of drugs and other medical essentials as “creating some confusion” and “diversion of resources” is a bit perplexing but its direction to the Union government to place before it a “national plan” on the way it proposes to face the challenge is welcome. How the government will be taking on the virus given the way it has been spreading the length and breadth of the county, choking and extinguishing lives and disrupting and decimating livelihoods is a question most right-thinking people in the country are asking now. The news of people dying for want of oxygen in a country which is priding itself as the pharma hub of the world is unacceptable; and police in a state obstructing trucks lifting oxygen cylinders for hospitals in another state signals the poor coordination at the national level in the face of a crisis that was long waiting to happen.
As of now, the facts on the ground are disturbing — we are facing a shortage of all the stuff that is needed to save lives — critical drugs, oxygen, hospital beds, intensive care units, ventilators and vaccine. India, which had reported the second largest number of cases in September-October last year, showed a remarkable improvement in the following months with the daily numbers coming to a few thousands. The numbers started spiralling only in March this year, giving the government time to plan for a situation should it go out of control.
From the looks of it, the government has faltered on every count, except making fancy noises. It launched a vaccination programme, calling it the world’s largest. It was true, because we were to vaccinate about 100 crore people. But none asked the question nor the government bothered to answer as to where the vaccine will come from to inoculate all these people. Almost four months have passed since the Drugs Controller General of India approved two vaccines — Covishield manufactured by Serum Institute of India and Covaxin, by the Bharat Biotech International for emergency use, but the production has not increased by one dose even now. It was only a couple of days ago that the company was given `3,000 crores which it would use to expand production which will take roughly three months. The same is the case with the other manufacturer, who was granted `1,500 crores.
It is in this background that we should view the government’s announcement of opening up vaccination for all those who are aged above 18. This is a welcome step but the government must also ensure that we have enough vaccine to administer to the newly eligible group of people. The government must, as the Supreme Court suggested, draw up a time-bound plan to ramp up production of vaccine, drugs and oxygen and distribute them. It has this week asked two public sector companies to manufacture Covaxin; it must follow up on this decision, use the compulsory licensing route, if necessary, and rope in other manufacturers so that we have the drugs, vaccines and other essentials to save lives. There is no time to waste.
Almost four months have passed since the Drugs Controller General of India approved two vaccines — Covishield manufactured by Serum Institute of India and Covaxin, by Bharat Biotech International, but the production has not increased by one dose even now