Jagan Mohan Reddy seeks centralized COVID-19 vaccination; asks CMs to speak in 'one voice'

In a letter addressed to his Kerala counterpart Pinarayi Vijayan on Thursday, Andhra Pradesh CM YS Jagan Mohan Reddy stressed the need to increase vaccine availability. This comes after his government, which was the first in the country to float a global tender to procure COVID-19 vaccines, failed to elicit any response. Lamenting that the situation is turning into 'states vs Centre', he complained that the inoculation drive is plagued by multiple coordination issues.

"Any delay in vaccinating the people would come at a heavy price. It is my request that as Chief Ministers, we speak in a single voice and urge the government of India to take charge and responsibility of the vaccination drive, the way it was happening in the early part of the year. The timely vaccination of medical staff yielded great results," Jagan Mohan Reddy stated. 

According to him, the decision to give the states a larger say in vaccine procurement was unwarranted as it led to a significant deviation of resources from augmenting healthcare facilities. Thereafter, the Andhra Pradesh CM threw his weight behind a centralized and coordinated vaccination supported by the respective state governments. He opined that this will fetch great dividends for the people of the country. 

Here is Jagan Mohan Reddy's letter to the Kerala CM:

Kerala pins responsibility on the Centre

Incidentally, the Kerala CM too has advocated the Union government should play the main role in vaccine procurement. On May 29, he wrote to 11 non-BJP Chief Ministers calling for a united effort to convince the Centre on universal vaccination. "Statements to the effect that the responsibility to provide vaccine entirely falls within the realm of the States defies the very basis of the cooperative federal system. The need of the hour is a united effort from our side to put forth the genuine demand that the Centre should procure vaccine needed by the States and distribute them free of cost. This will be more cost-effective as well," he added. 

This was followed by the Kerala Assembly unanimously passing a resolution on Wednesday urging the Centre to provide free COVID-19 vaccines for everyone in a time-bound manner. As the resolution tabled by Health Minister Veena George, the Union government should float a global tender to procure vaccines for the entire country rather than leaving it on the state governments. Moreover, it condemned the Centre for allegedly shirking its responsibility of providing free vaccines and asking states to buy them from the open market instead.