The Congress leadership had time and again tried to impress upon the PM the need to take timely and cogent steps, but the suggestions weren’t heeded
The raging COVID pandemic is a test of leadership all over the world. There are countries that have battled the virus and emerged stronger and there are those that have been found lacking in preparedness, empathy and governance. It is regrettable that India falls in the category of countries where the government completely abdicated its responsibility and looked the other way as millions were left to fend for themselves, fight the virus and die. This unprecedented crisis worsened on account of the government's ignorance, ego and incompetence.
There are four ways to combat the Covid- 19 virus - testing, tracking, treatment and vaccination. It is a foregone conclusion that for a country like India, the biggest global manufacturer of vaccines, inoculating our people on priority would be what any elected government would opt to do. But not the Modi government. So the focus here would be on what could have been our most potent ammunition in this battle - vaccination- how we failed - and there are no signs of course correction yet.
After first warning of the COVID Tsunami as early as February 2020, Rahul Gandhi had suggested in August last year about a sound vaccine strategy, that ensures equitable vaccination for all. The Prime Minister and his team even failed to calculate the dosages of vaccine required for our population. They had no idea as to how much vaccine could be produced in a month and were clueless about the investment and incentive manufacturers would need. So while most countries bought ample vaccines and had finished placing their fourth and fifth rounds of orders by August-October 2020, Indian government placed its first order of just 1.60 crore doses on as late as January 11, 2021.
The world tapped multiple vaccines in the market but the Modi government ended up creating a State duopoly - relying on just two vaccines - Covaxin made by Bharat Biotech in partnership with ICMR and Oxford University-Astra Zeneca's Covishield produced by Serum Institute of India. Even these two sources were not fully utilized. India is presently vaccinating under 16 lakh people everyday, which is steeply down from the peak in April.
False claims won't mask the truth. As on May 23, only 15.29 crore people got their first shot and only 4.31 crore Indians have been fully vaccinated, which is around three percent of our population. This pales in comparison to America's 39% fully vaccination rate or UK's 33%. What is even more worrying is the fact that under one crore out of 62 crore Indians between the age group of 18-44 years have received the first dosage, a task that has been callously left for States to perform. While this goes to print, States like Delhi and Telangana have suspended vaccination drive for those under 45 years, due to the paucity of vaccine availability.
But even as Indians have to wait impatiently before being inoculated, Prime Minister Modi exported over 6.63 crore vaccine doses overseas. And no, not all of these exports were under international diplomacy, large volumes were commercial consignments. How can an elected government commit the sin of prioritising anyone before its own citizens? All of this for momentary glory and applause for Mr Modi?
Before moving any further - let's take stock of the vaccine availability in India. Serum Institute's present production capacity is about six crore doses every month, while Bharat Biotech produces about 60 lakh doses a month. Both companies can ramp up production only by end of July or beginning of August. Sputnik V, the Russian vaccine approved by the government will be manufactured in significant quantities by Dr Reddys and six other labs also by July end. No other foreign vaccine has yet been approved for use or imported for inoculation. Pfizer was dragged for lack of permission in February itself. This explains the complete lack of vaccine strategy that would ensure enough and equitable distribution of the vaccine.
The only way to increase vaccination is to either manufacture more or allow more foreign vaccines to be imported. Both suggestions have been repeatedly made by the Congress leadership. But such letters haven't even been acknowledged - and sometimes insolently responded to by junior ministers.
Meanwhile, a confused Modi government, which is lobbying for patent waiver by global vaccine majors at the WTO, argued against compulsory licencing at the Supreme Court, a position it changed after much public furore. Sections 92 and 100 under India's Patent Act 1970 provide for Compulsory licences. Simply put, government can declare compulsory licensing for any patented product during national or extreme emergency-which will allow domestic manufacturing of patented items and ensure steady supply. Royalty to the patent holder is paid by the controller general of patents or the High Court, if negotiations fail. After procrastinating for nearly a month, the government finally invited applications to manufacture patented vaccines, but who is responsible for precious time that has been wasted and the lives this indecision has cost?
The Central Government's shameful neglect of duty has resulted in the States being forced to outbid each other. This insane competition among the States is a creation of the Central Government's failure to procure vaccines for our people and instead putting the burden entirely on States - both monetarily and in terms of availability. Ironically, at a time when African nations have formed a Union to procure 22.2 crore doses of vaccine from Johnson and Johnson, a move that collectively gives them better bargaining power, India's Central Government has created a fastest fingers first situation for India's States. Putting the onus on States to pay higher prices for vaccines is immoral and unethical.
It is the irrational and premature celebration that one needs to warn against. Even as vaccination numbers fall steeply, the government's ambitious claims of 200 crore vaccine doses to be available by December seems unreal. Experts are not willing to buy this yet. Some senior virologists have in fact already raised the red flag on nasal and DNA vaccines that are being spoken about and given the past track records, they are rightly apprehensive of the targets being achieved.
To top it, a beaming picture of the Prime Minister on the vaccine certificate is a grim reminder of the single nuggets reason why India has failed - OVER CENTRALISATION. Be it procurement and mapping of oxygen, distribution of vaccines, essential drugs and ventilators - the central government has refused to treat States as partners in this battle. PM's monologues after every meeting with the Chief Ministers exemplifies why dialogue is so essential.
It is ironic how India, the largest manufacturer of oxygen, drugs and vaccines has lost precious lives due to acute shortage. It isn't just the opposition but people all across the country are enraged and want to know why were Serology Surveys, warnings from experts, scientific advisors even the Parliament's Standing Committee on Health ignored? Why did we waste a year electioneering when we should have instead been preparing for the second wave? Why is the government so averse to sound advice? Why did Dr Shahid Jameel, an eminent virologist on government's genome task force quit? But the question that is on everyone's mind now is about how prepared are we going to be for the third wave, that's expected to hit children hard? What paediatric arrangements are being made, given the many warning bells that have been issued?
Unfortunately, instead of focusing on the task at hand to save lives, the government, its key ministers and the BJP has chosen to indulge in cheap politics. Even after its lies have been called out, its forgery flagged and its fraud termed as manipulated media by independent fact checkers and social media giants like Twitter - the ruling party refuses to give up. It has now resorted to intimidation. But it will refuse to answer pertinent questions on the disease, series of missteps, misgovernance, acute shortage of life savings drugs, vaccines and oxygen. It has no answers for mismatch in ground realities and the official death figures across some of the BJP-ruled States. The party is tongue tied about dead bodies buried across river beds. Its sheer shamelessness to level charges against the opposition is a desperate attempt to divert attention- but its all in vain - the destruction on account of government's apathy is apparent all around us.
Mr Modi, call yourself what you may. But you are the system that has failed us all.
The author is All India Congress Committee General Secretary and Chief Spokesperson of the Congress Party. The views expressed are personal.
