E-Paper
Reset policy to tackle Covid-19 effectively
Numerous faults could be listed in the approach adopted hitherto but our endeavour at individual, societal, state and national level is to equip ourselves better for future waves
When Covid-19 alarm bells rang in early 2020, individually and institutionally, we were groping in the dark. The information asymmetry was plugged as more research-based data emerged. As the first wave waned, false and unscientific narratives and policy inaction lulled us into complacency. Eventually, the inevitable second wave caused unimaginable human and economic catastrophe in the country. Thus, it is pertinent to analyse our approach, or the lack of it, which is responsible for the current state of affairs.
At the outset, there has been an unequivocal failure in discharge of constitutional duties, protection of fundamental rights of citizens and the abdication of governance by the central and the state governments alike. Therefore, the courts have been forced to assume normal executive functions. This must challenge the executive to have a rethink about the efficacy of its functioning.
In tackling Covid-19, the centralised top-down approach has worked neither at the national nor at the state level. Valuable time was lost in the micro-management of policies that resulted in preventable casualties. Numerous faults could be listed in the approach adopted hitherto but our endeavour at individual, societal, state and national level is to equip ourselves better for future waves.
Vaccine procurement should be with Centre
The amended vaccine procurement policy needs to be abandoned in favour of the previous single-point procurement by the Centre. The differential pricing policy is arbitrary and must go. Formulation of policies, after a consultative process with the states, with respect to time-bound universal vaccination; streamlined single-point vaccination procurement at the national and international levels; and ensuring adequate supply of oxygen should be the domain of the central government. Floating global tenders by states is no assurance for supply of vaccines. The financial capacities of states do not inspire confidence among international vaccine producers and their negotiation skills don’t match with the central government. Thus, the Centre is most suitable to procure from abroad and at home. The whole financial burden, like pulse polio, needs to be borne by the Union government as the precarious financial position of many states could make them falter and impede universal vaccination.
A realistic assessment about the demand and supply of vaccines is a pre-requisite for a vaccination plan to blunt the impact of the second and coming waves. India administered 19.19 crore doses till the morning of May 21, 2021. Only 3.05% of the population has received the second dose.
The Serum Institute of India and Bharat Biotech have promised to ramp up vaccine production in the coming months but to what extent that is possible remains to be seen. If we are to vaccinate 85 crore people, who are above 18, in one year, then we need roughly 12.57 crore doses a month, (after accounting for 19.19 crore doses), with approximately 41.32 lakh doses administered daily against an average of 15.35 lakh achieved till May 21. It is a tall order. Any rollout plan would depend upon the capacity utilisation of producers and import tie-ups. Thus, the formulated policy ought to inform the citizens of vaccination timelines for fully vaccinating 140 crore people.
Empowered task forces for region-based surveillance
Considering the magnitude of the disease and size of the country, it is imperative to have cross-jurisdictional region-based surveillance for geographically contiguous areas. Thus, five national-level empowered task forces (ETFs), comprising virologists, vaccinologists, epidemiologists, government officials, and other experts for five regions, namely north, south, east and northeast, central and west India need to be constituted. These ETFs, fully empowered, will ensure the implementation and harmonisation of the national strategy taking into account specific needs of any state. Each ETF will coordinate with a similar ETF constituted at the state level. Issues of regional relevance would be resolved at the level of the relevant regional ETF and only the most contentious issues could go to a national committee, headed by the Prime Minister, comprising ministers concerned, senior secretaries, leaders from pharmaceutical companies and industry.
Each state may be divided into regions, each under a group of senior officials, experts, and representatives from medical associations. Mapping of all resources from hospital beds, medicines and logistics at the state, region and zone levels is a pre-requisite. The potential of urban and rural local bodies needs to be utilised adequately. They have more reliable information on the spread of the disease, possess an effective communication network, are better placed to rope in local NGOs and are better equipped to mobilise local resources.
Transparency and communication
Cities with municipal corporations need to be divided into optimum number of zones, each under a dedicated group led by a senior officer and comprising medical specialists, elected municipal councillors and representatives from hospitals. Other municipal areas, and each block in rural areas, can work as a single zone under a similar dedicated group. These dedicated groups can be empowered to requisition hospital beds and ambulances under their jurisdiction whenever needed. All data about available hospital beds, ambulances, oxygen and medicines should be put on a public portal of each zone.
It is time for the ministers and chief ministers to lead from the front. Let each minister, in charge of one or more districts, sit at the district headquarters to coordinate this fight. Transparency and communication with public, missing so far, will enhance credibility and bulwark against growing pessimism among citizens. We need to redirect ourselves towards our strengths instead of political bickering at the common citizens’ cost.
The writer is a retired additional chief secretary of Punjab. Views expressed are personal
