Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, Apr 20: When the country is looking at all available resources to augment vaccine production and the prime minister Narendra Modi has repeatedly emphasized on optimum utilization of the life-saving doses, enormous wastage of vaccine doses by various states has shaken the people.
According to information given by the union health ministry in response to some queries under the Right to Information Act, more than 44 lakh vaccine doses were “wasted” out of 10 crore doses used by states till April 11.
The worst culprit was Tamil Nadu which reported the highest vaccine wastage of over 12 per cent, followed by Haryana (9.74%), Punjab (8.12%), Manipur (7.8%) and Telangana (7.55%), according to the centre’s response to the RTI query.
States that achieved the least vaccine waste are Kerala, West Bengal, Himachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Goa, Daman and Diu, Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep. There was “zero wastage” of doses in these states, the RTI reply said.
Allegations of vaccine shortage have seeded a political row between the centre and states like Maharashtra, Punjab and Delhi, who allege that their vaccine allocation is less in proportion to the population compared to BJP-ruled states like Gujarat. The centre, however, had refused to admit there was any vaccine shortage and had blamed on the “wastage” by the non-BJP ruled states for leveling allegations against the union government.
The back-and-forth may intensify with vaccinations being opened to all above 18 from May 1, and the centre announcing that states can buy doses directly from vaccine-makers.
To boost doses, the government recently fast-tracked clearance for Covid vaccines that have been approved in other countries. Yesterday, top Finance Ministry sources said an advance of ₹ 4,500 crore had been given to vaccine-makers in India.
Rs 3,000 crore has been given to the Serum Institute of India, which produces Covishield, and ₹ 1,500 crore has been assigned for Covaxin-maker Bharat Biotech, so they can scale up production of vaccines, the sources said.
In the past few days, many states have sent out vaccine SOS but the central government has asserted that it is more about mismanagement and waste.
“The problem is of lack of better planning, not of vaccine doses shortage. We have made available vaccine doses to states and UTs from time to time and as we told you earlier that to bigger states we give supply of four days at once and on fourth and fifth day we replenish the supply. For smaller states, at once we supply 7-8 days vaccine doses and on seventh or eighth day their supply is replenished,” said Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan. He also said each state government had to ascertain at cold chain points how many doses were lying unused.
The Delhi High court on Tuesday took the government to task for the vaccine wastage. The court said Covid-19 pandemic does not discriminate. “Whomsoever needs vaccines, give them. Everyone needs vaccination,” the judges said while hearing a petition filed by a lawyer.
Expressing serious concern over the alleged wastage, the high court stressed on the need to vaccinate more and more people. The court’s observations came during a hearing on a petition filed by a lawyer Rakesh Malhotra seeking directions from the court to ramp up tests and take immediate measures to contain the grim Covid situation in the national capital.
Citing news reports, the bench of justices Vipin Sanghi and Rekha Palli said, “The number of vaccines have been wasted is 44 lakh out of 10 crore vaccine. The vials have to be consumed once it has to be opened. Now the once which are not used are being wasted.”
“Why are we wasting even one shot, why can’t we deal with it?” the bench further said.
The judges also suggested creating a mobile application consisting of a list of people who can be vaccinated. “Give it to people willing to take it. Those drops which can save the lives, are being wasted,” said the court.
Talking about the dip in vaccination numbers, the court said, “If we wait for 10 days, the problem may persist. We are losing on valuable and young lives. The pandemic does not discriminate. Whomsoever needs vaccines, give them. Everyone needs vaccination.” According to one estimate the vaccine wastage in Delhi was to the extent of about five per cent.
In a meeting with the chief ministers earlier this month, Prime Minister had said a major part of Covid-19 management was to prevent vaccine wastage and appealed to the youth of the country to help people above 45 to get vaccinated.
The Prime Minister said the efforts are being made to improve the maximum manufacturing facility of the vaccine. He had also informed about the development of new vaccines.
Recently Russia’s Sputnik V received the approval from India’s drug regulator for emergency use during Covid-19 crisis. It will now be used along with Covishield and Covaxin being used in the country for inoculating people as part of nationwide vaccination drive launched on January 16. The government has also decided to fast track approval of the foreign-made vaccines already cleared by leading nations.