TESTING TIMES

ers raise concerns and differences of
opinion on India’s vaccine drive and
on vaccines, public may get into confusion.
WHO scientist recently pointed
out mass gathering and social
activities might have contributed to
such sudden surge of Covid-19 in India.
India began vaccine drive in 16,
Jan 2021 and countries might have
initiated some weeks before that.
After vaccination drive began many
political parties at centre and states
started celebrating as India controlled
the pandemic. After the onset of vaccine
drive, the drive began without acceleration.
Emergency use of vaccine
became non-emergency. Many other
national and political issues became
priority over vaccine drive. Notably,
the Hon. High courts made serious
observation on election procedures
in many states on violating covid-19
protocols. Although such events may
be unavoidable, political parties shall
understand that vaccine drive for public
is the need of the hour and importantfor
managing and controlling the
Covid-19. Each state has been playing
different modus operandi in attacking
centre due to political differences and
managing vaccination processes.
Political party members should
fully adhere to the Covid-19 protocol
and should exhibit exemplary
gestures to public. When politicians
speak, support and propagate political
rallies and mass gathering,
how public could follow the rules
and guidelines! Political machinery
across the nation shall come together
and merge to work in totality
against the national pandemic. Politicians
and policy makers are good
in comparing and bosting on small
achievements of Indian initiatives
at national and global platform.This
type of comparison may not pay any
benefit during pandemic. Similarly,
they mayalso analyse how other
countries speeded up their vaccine
drive for public by procuring vaccines
from other countries. India is
the capital of vaccine supplier in the
world. Surprisingly, Statistareports
as on May 20 in India only 3% people
got second dose of vaccine and 10.9
% people received first dose whereas
these figures may be ten times more
in many other countries.
India could have vaccinated more
people above 18 years age, may be
better than many other countries, if
the vaccine drive could have initiated
more aggressively from February.
Now CoWinapp is like Tatkal and
available for just for 1-2 hour per day
for vaccine booking. Public is almost
in a frustrated situation to get vaccine
slots even after trying for weeks
through CoWin. This won’t serve
the purpose of mass vaccination in
India for control of the pandemic.
Many rural areas digital divide exists
with poor digital literacy and
internet connectivity. We have best
IT technology service providers in
the world and government shall take
the help of IT sectors to develop alternative
apps or measures to speed
up the registration process to cover
mass vaccination in short period of
time. Establishment of “walk-in vaccine
centres “across India could be
an option.
Management of vaccine drive by
government for such vast Indian
population could be discussed with
allpolitical party levels, management
experts and other technocrats with
help of well-established defence organizations
and medical fraternity
without political differences. Time
has come for all political parties join
in hand to face such pandemic. The
Covid-19 may be a wakeupcall for all
political parties to remove their political
barricades and work together
to curtail Covid-19 pandemic.
(Writer is practicing Medical
Scientist at Indian Institute of Science,
Bangalore, India & the views
expressed are personal)
Opinion Express July 2021 7