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On May 1, when all Indian adults were eligible for the Covid-19 vaccination, the boutique hotel chain Postcard Hotels & Resorts (Postcard Hotels & Resorts) took action to vaccinate its staff. Managers searched the country’s online brochure booking platform Co-win to secure appointments. The hotel car took the workers to the clinic two hours away. The company pays for vaccinations, some of which cost as much as 1,300 rupees (13 pounds) per dose.
Within a week, 200 employees received the first dose of the drug. Kapil Chopra, the company’s founder and CEO, said: “We operate like an army.” “For the sake of safety, I do this to keep the team safe.”
India was involved in the Covid-19 wave, killing at least 140,000 people in two months, and many people are seeking vaccination to prevent heights Infectious variant Now, Sars-Cov-2 aircraft are widely circulated in the country.
But with Thorns are scarceWealthy citizens and powerful companies and the people who work for them are making it easier to obtain vaccines based on their ability to pay, technology savvy and connections to large private hospitals.
“This is India’s feudal system,” said Leena Menghaney, a public health lawyer. “The rich in India always get anything first. It’s very elite… Those who have connectivity and digital tools, have enough education and smart enough knowledge to run the system and get vaccinated.”
Since mid-January, India has administered 200 million doses, about 14 doses per 100 people. Slow pace Compared with past vaccination campaigns. India recently vaccinated 110 million children against polio in just three days.
However, the launch of the Covid-19 vaccine in India is limited by a severe shortage of jabs, which are due to false confidence that the virus is under control and unable to ensure supply. The government of Narendra Modi placed its first vaccine order in January alone, and only 16.5 million doses were injected.
Swarup Sarkar, a member of the Covid-19 working group of the Indian Medical Research Council, said: “This epidemic has been wiped out. It is complacent.” “There is no need for a vaccine.”
Due to limited vaccine stocks, India initially prioritized those who are most vulnerable to severe Covid-19 based on age and health standards. The government purchased vaccines from two domestic manufacturers and managed them in public hospitals for free, or purchased them at 250 rupees. private hospital.
But with the surge in coronavirus cases and vaccine demand last month, New Delhi changed its strategy. The Modi government denied any shortages, opened up vaccination to all adults, and touted a “liberalization and acceleration” vaccination strategy.
With this, New Delhi gave up its responsibility to vaccinate Indians under the age of 45 and told the states to buy needles for this population. It also allows vaccine manufacturers to sell 25% of their production to private hospitals at a much higher price.
Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said the policy would “authorize many people to vaccinate at their own expense.” He added: “Essentially, those who are able to obtain (stab) at the prices of the private and corporate sectors should move on.”
Today, private hospitals offer vaccination camps in company offices, factories, five-star hotels and elite residential areas, where wealthy Indians and companies may pay about 1,700 rupees for a jab for themselves and their employees.
At the same time, many government vaccination centers that provided lancets for free were closed due to insufficient supply. Using the Co-win app to ensure vaccination, government clinics in rural areas are plagued by tech-savvy urban young people, while those less skilled locals are turned away.
Experts say this preference for the rich (rather than scientifically distributing rare vaccines where they are most needed) will exacerbate existing social inequalities and violate public health principles.
“This is a complete disaster,” said Murali Neelakantan, former general counsel of Cipla, a large Indian pharmaceutical company. “There is no vaccine that can be given out for free because the rich are taking it. You can’t defend any aspect of this in any other part of the world.”
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