Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday urged the Centre to divide the responsibility of producing vaccines for Covid-19 between more companies in the country in order to meet the high demand for the jabs. Kejriwal said that the national Capital had plans to ramp up its inoculation drive and would soon need more shots as it plans to vaccinate over three lakh people daily, before the third wave of the contagion strikes the city.
Currently, the two vaccine makers in India are the Pune-based Serum Institute of India (SII), which manufactures Covishield and Bharat Biotech, which produces the indigenously- developed Covaxin.
Kejriwal said that the Centre should formulate a national policy to vaccinate every person within the next few months by increasing the production of the much-needed shots. He also stressed that not just SII and Bharat Biotech, but multiple companies should be engaged in vaccine production in India to meet the soaring demand. He suggested that the Central Government should take the formula for producing the vaccine from these two firms and give it to those companies which can safely make the doses.
“India houses some of the greatest industrialists and some of the biggest pharma companies in the world. We have world-renowned scientists. If they are given the opportunity, they will do everything to serve the nation,” he added.
The Chief Minister also said, “The cases of coronavirus are reducing in Delhi and the second wave is subsiding. The lockdown was successful because of everyone’s support. In the last few days, we have also increased the number of oxygen beds available in the Capital. Yesterday we installed beds in the Ramlila Grounds, in front of the GTB Hospital.”
“In these difficult times, the Central Government has the power to execute a national policy of vaccinating every Indian. For this to happen, the formula to make the vaccines should be shared with other firms capable of producing the doses in a safe manner. The current vaccine manufacturers can be given royalty for the use of their formula by other firms. This is the only way by which we can vaccinate all our citizens rapidly,” he said.
Citing an example, he said “If you remember, when we faced the first wave there was a major shortage of PPE kits in India. Imagine if at that time only two companies had been given the rights to make the PPE kits. Would the PPE kits be available today in the country? But this did not happen. Today, many Indian companies are making those kits. That is why we are not dependent upon others for PPE kits.”
“I have full faith that in this manner we will be able to provide protection to every citizen of India, before the next wave of the pandemic hits us. My only goal is to think as to how to save each and every Indian from the wrath of the coronavirus,” he added.