India is now set to launch Russia's Sputnik vaccines soon.
It has been inoculating its people with the AstraZeneca vaccine produced by the Serum Institute and Covaxin made by another local pharma firm Bharat Biotech.
Another business chamber, the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) also said that the announcements by the Prime Minister will ensure uniformity of procurement prices and create bandwidth to manage inoculation of adult populations.
New Delhi: After a botched up vaccine policy that gave powers to provinces and states to take up a large part of vaccination, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday announced a new centralised policy for injecting jabs under which the federal government will provide free COVID-19 vaccines to all adults.
"A new guideline for centralised vaccination drive will be rolled out from June 21 and there will be free vaccines for all people above 18 years," Modi said in a televised address to the nation. This was his 15th national broadcast in one and half years since 2020 when the pandemic first hit India.
For a change even bitter critics of the Prime Minister including the communist and Congress party leaders have welcomed the new move. "The Honourable Prime Minister's declaration that Covid-19 vaccine will be supplied free of cost to the States from 21 June, is the most appropriate response at this hour," said Marxist veteran and Kerala Chief Minister, Pinarayi Vijayan.
"I am happy that our request has been positively responded to by the Prime Minister," he observed.
The botched up policy that gave powers to states has covered less than 5 per cent of India's estimated adult population of 950 million. There were large scale criticism of the policy as the provincial governments did not have resources and other infrastructures, diplomatic skills and powers to negotiate with foreign manufacturers of vaccines.
Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio, a Christian, welcomed the new announcement by the Prime Minister. "This is a decisive and timely step to provide free vaccine to all Indian citizens above 18 years from June 21, 2021.This will not only add momentum to the nationwide vaccination drive but also greatly ease the burden of the state governments," Rio tweeted.
Prime Minister's announcement actually comes as a better late than never step.
The pandemic has already killed thousands and India now has the world's second-highest tally of infections. Modi said the government would allow private hospitals to have 25 percent of all vaccine supplies but they cannot charge more than 150 Indian rupees (about $2.05) over the cost of the dose.
On Monday, June 7, India reported 1,00,636 fresh COVID-19 cases, the lowest in 61 days, taking the infection tally to 2,89,09,975.
According to the federal Health Ministry's data, the number of active cases dropped to 14,01,609.
The business chamber Assocham said that the new decision would streamline vaccine procurement. "The revised policy would remove all procedural bottlenecks for availability of vaccines to the states," the chamber said.
"Whether it is the poor, the lower middle class, the middle class, or the upper middle class, under the federal government programme, every one will get free vaccines," the Prime Minister said.
The opposition parties have nevertheless called it the Prime Minister's "PR - public relations' exercise and damage control after the government policy was castigated by the Supreme Court recently.
However, in a tweet, vocal opposition Congress party lawmaker Shashi Tharoor, a former UN official, welcomed the new announcement.
"Glad that PMO India has done the right thing at last, after exhausting the bad alternatives. If Govt. of India had proactively placed vaccine orders a year ago and paid to expand India's capacities,the nation would have been spared the trauma of the last six months, and we could have exported too," he tweeted.
A pro-Muslim party, AIMIM from Hyderabad has said Mr Modi's new announcement is only a "course correction" after the Supreme Court lambasted the federal government.
Under the earlier policy, the federal government gave free vaccines to the elderly and frontline workers, and left state governments and private hospitals to administer doses for a fee to people in the 18-45 age group.
However, the experiment did not work well as the states soon realised that things were easier said than done and that no foreign manufacturer of vaccines were willing to deal with the states either.
PM Modi also said there will be a 'free ration' for 80 crore (800 million ZZZ) people till October-November by the festival season later this year.
BJP leader Rajiv Chandrashekhar has argued that the 'powers' were given to the states only after consultation and repeated requests from state Chief Ministers and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for the authority to carry out the vaccination.
BJP leaders say the opposition parties have constantly changed their goalposts. While at initial stage, they questioned the efficacy of the vaccines made by two Indian companies at the later stage they said as health is a state subject, the states should be allowed to carry out the vaccination drive as their "federal rights".
Besides Rahul Gandhi, chief ministers of West Bengal Mamata Banerjee and Delhi Arvind Kejriwal - both belonging to different parties - had also demanded that states should be given authority to carry out vaccination.
Now from June 21, that powers would stand withdrawn and the states will also not have to make any expenditures, the Prime Minister said.
"We will increase the speed of procuring vaccines and also increase the pace of the vaccination programme," Modi said.
"Desh ki kiso bhi rajyo sarkar ko vaccine par kucch bhi kharch nahi karna hoga
New Delhi:
"Desh ki kiso bhi rajyo sarkar ko vaccine par kucch bhi kharch nahi karna hoga
(No state government will henceforth have to spend any money on vaccines)," Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Monday.
This was the return of a vintage Narendra Modi. The Prime Minister meant it in no uncertain language that he has taken charge of the entire vaccination drive in the country - which for long was marred by controversies and credit seeking and blame giving games by some of the opposition ruled states. States were given some liberty and flexibility to carry forward vaccination drive from their end after demands were made.
However, the experiment did not work well as the states soon realised that things were easier said than done and that no foreign manufacturer of vaccines were willing to deal with the states either.
In a special televised address to the nation, Mr Modi on Monday announced a centralized vaccine drive for all above 18 years and also said there will be a 'free ration' for 80 crore people till Diwali this year.
The Prime Minister also said private hospitals can continue to procure 25 percent of vaccines, but their service charge has been capped at Rs 150 per dose over fixed price of vaccine.
"Twenty five per cent of vaccination work with states will now be handled by the Centre, it will be implemented
in the coming two weeks. Both the states and the Centre will work as per new guidelines in the coming two weeks.
A new guideline for centralised vaccination drive will be rolled out from June 21 and there will be free vaccines for all people above 18 years," Modi said.
Meanwhile, the government has also ordered that henceforth the Union Home Ministry will be the nodal agency for the massive vaccination drive and distribution of vaccines.
The Union Home Secretary will review the entire process on daily and hourly basis.
In the process, PM's trusted lieutenant Amit Shah has been also given the charge to handle the vaccination drive.
In his broadcast, the Prime Minister said many states demanded vaccination to be decentralised and said, "some voices even questioned prioritising certain age groups, including elderly".
However, the Prime Minister said, after the vaccination drive was de-centralised many states started demanding going back to earlier centralised structure.
The new announcement will end all confusion on vaccination issue and set to rest all speculation.
Experts say the new announcement will make the jabs drive much faster.
He also pointed out the vaccination process had not developed according to expectations.
"If you look at the history of the last 50-60 years, it used to take India decades to get the vaccines from abroad," PM Modi said adding all vaccines will be procured by the Government of India and given to states for free.
"In coming two weeks, new guidelines will be prepared and from June 21, Monday, states will be supplied with free vaccines for every Indian above 18 years of age will be given vaccination," Modi said.
The Prime Minister said to increase vaccine availability, the process of procuring vaccines from abroad has been sped up. Experts have also expressed concerns about children. In this direction, the trial of two vaccines is underway. Research is being conducted for a nasal vaccine in the country as well, he said.
Mr Modi directed his tirade against opposition states and a section of media for raising various related and unrelated questions on the efficacy of vaccines.
There is very less number of vaccine manufacturers in world compared to its demand.
"Imagine what would have happened in India if we didn't have vaccines. If you look at history of last 50-60 years,
you will know that it used to take decades for India to get vaccines from abroad".
He further said the new health infrastructure has been developed in the 1.5 years with COVID hospitals, ventilators beds, to preparing a network of testing labs.
ends
If you look at the history of the last 50-60 years, it used to take India decades to get the vaccines from abroad. Vaccine work used to be completed abroad, even then vaccination work could not start in our country: PM Modi
PM Modi announces centralized vaccine drive, all vaccines will be procured by Govt of India and given to States for free.
25% of vaccination work with states will now be handled by the Centre, it will be implemented in the coming two weeks. Both State and Centre to work as per new guidelines in the coming two weeks. From June 21 June, free vaccine for people above 18 years: PM Modi
21 जून, सोमवार से देश के हर राज्य में, 18 वर्ष से ऊपर की उम्र के सभी नागरिकों के लिए, भारत सरकार राज्यों को मुफ्त वैक्सीन मुहैया कराएगी।
वैक्सीन निर्माताओं से कुल वैक्सीन उत्पादन का 75 प्रतिशत हिस्सा भारत सरकार खुद ही खरीदकर राज्य सरकारों को मुफ्त देगी: PM
देश की किसी भी राज्य सरकार को वैक्सीन पर कुछ भी खर्च नहीं करना होगा।
देश की किसी भी राज्य सरकार को वैक्सीन पर कुछ भी खर्च नहीं करना होगा।
अब तक देश के करोड़ों लोगों को मुफ्त वैक्सीन मिली है। अब 18 वर्ष की आयु के लोग भी इसमें जुड़ जाएंगे।
सभी देशवासियों के लिए भारत सरकार ही मुफ्त वैक्सीन उपलब्ध करवाएगी: PM
@narendramodi
To increase vaccine availability, the process of procuring vaccines from abroad has been sped up. Experts have also expressed concerns about children. In this direction, the trial of two vaccines is underway. Research is being conducted for a nasal vaccine in the country: PM Modi
Narendra Modi directs its tirade against opposition states and a section of media for raising various related and unrelated questions on #vaccines
कई राज्य सरकारों ने फिर कहा कि वैक्सीन का काम डी-सेंट्रलाइज किया जाए और राज्यों पर छोड़ दिया जाए।
तरह-तरह के स्वर उठे।
जैसे कि वैक्सीनेशन के लिए Age Group क्यों बनाए गए? - PM
There is very less number of vaccine manufacturers in world compared to its demand. Imagine what would have happened in India if we didn't have vaccines. If you look at history of last 50-60 yrs, you will know that it used to take decades for India to get vaccines from abroad: PM
New health infrastructure has been developed in the 1.5 years with COVID hospitals, ventilators beds, to preparing a network of testing labs. During the 2nd wave in April-May, demand for medical oxygen increased at an unprecedented rate: PM Modi
हर आशंका को दरकिनार करके भारत ने 1 साल के भीतर ही एक नहीं बल्कि दो मेड इन इंडिया वैक्सीन्स लॉन्च कर दी।
हमारे देश ने, वैज्ञानिकों ने ये दिखा दिया कि भारत बड़े-बड़े देशों से पीछे नही है। आज जब मैं आपसे बात कर रहा हूं तो देश में 23 करोड़ से ज्यादा वैक्सीन की डोज़ दी जा चुकी है: PM
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