Centre's boon to boost vaccination campaign
- The People's Chronicle Editorial :: June 09, 2021 -

As the Union government has announced provision of free vaccines to all states and union territories for vaccination of those above the age of 18 years at government facilities from June 21, success of the centre's ambitious move to shield the citizens from the devastating coronavirus at the soonest possible will rest on how backward states like Manipur galvanise manpower and infrastructural resources to accelerate the mass vaccination programme.

With only a little over 4.20 lakh of the 20 lakh-plus adult population receiving the first dose of the vaccine as of Monday and 80,885 individuals completing the mandatory second dose, the state shall have to designate more vaccination centres and deploy sufficient number of medical personnel or voluntary workers to meet the increasing demand of the masses to receive the jab with minimal fuss.

In terms of vaccine wastage, Manipur figured among the top five states weeks into the vaccination campaign launched in January this, thereby exposing hesitancy among the state's denizens to take the jab among other reasons.

However, with the second wave of the pandemic infecting and claiming the lives of many, there has been a sense of urgency among the people to receive the dose consequently leading to serpentine queues at both government and private healthcare facilities.

Those apprehensive of mingling with the crowd also opt for the costlier but swifter jabs at designated private hospitals while for the ordinary citizens the choice is limited to waiting for their turn at government facilities.

Thus, Prime Minister Modi's announcement on Monday that in the next two weeks the Centre will take over the existing Covid vaccination drive would help ease the anxiety among the unvaccinated populace.

No doubt, the Centre's move to bear the cost of vaccinating all the eligible beneficiaries was preceded by the opposition political parties questioning the government's policy to export the home-made vaccines to friendlier nations despite reports of shortage of the same in the country as well as the Supreme Court recently slamming the tardy vaccination drive for the 18-44 age group.

In fact, the apex court had raised posers as to why the budgetary allocation of Rs 35,000 crore for vaccine procurement could not be used to inoculate the 18-44 age group free of cost.

Regardless of the intense scrutiny, PM Modi's assertion that all above 18 years of age in the country will get free vaccination at government facilities from June 21 and the Centre will buy 75 per cent of jabs from vaccine makers to distribute the same to the state governments demonstrates determination of the union government to safeguard the citizens from the pandemic.

Apart from relishing over the assurance of free parcelling of the vaccines, the government of Manipur must be heaving a huge sigh of relief over the PM's decision to extend provision of food-grains under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana till November month.

Therefore, it is imperative that the government of Manipur make the Centre's act of benevolence serve the purpose by increasing the number of vaccination centres and convincing even those who have been fretting over whether or not to take the jab to join hands in tackling the pandemic by getting themselves inoculated when their turn arrive.

It must be acknowledged that successful vaccination will be more productive and practical in taming the virus than trying to seek divine intervention.