Why compete in int'l market?: Kejriwal as states float global tenders for COVID vaccines

As more and more states begin floating global tender to procure COVID-19 vaccines from abroad, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday lamented that Indian states are left to ‘compete’ with each other for vaccines in the international market.

“Indian states left to compete/fight with each other in the international market. UP fighting Maharashtra, Maharashtra fighting Odisha, Odisha fighting Delhi. Where is ‘India’?” Kejriwal questioned.

Stating that it portrays a bad image of the nation, the CM suggested that India as a country should procure vaccines on behalf of all its states to meet the growing demand.

“Also, when states approach vaccine manufacturers and foreign countries as a nation rather than individual states, our bargaining power is much higher. The Central government has much more diplomatic space to negotiate with the countries,” Kejriwal added.

A large number of states including Maharashtra, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Odisha, Delhi, Mumbai, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh have either issued a global tender to acquire vaccines from abroad or are planning to do so. The steps have been taken to ramp up COVID-19 vaccination in individual states that have currently taken a hit due to a shortage of supplies.

Vaccine supplies delayed

Several state governments have placed lakhs of orders with the two vaccine manufacturers, but are yet to receive their orders. States like Karnataka, Maharashtra, Goa, Jammu-Kashmir, Chhattisgarh, Punjab, Delhi have postponed their vaccination drive by two weeks at least due to a shortage of vaccine doses. Both Bharat Biotech and Serum Institute of India (SII) have offered vaccines at RS 150/dose to the Centre, but at Rs 300 and Rs 400 respectively to state governments. 

On Wednesday, the cumulative number of COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in the country went past 17.70 crores, according to the Union Health Ministry. It said 4,17,321 beneficiaries in the age group of 18-44 years have received their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine and cumulatively 34,66,895 across 30 states and union territories since the start of the third phase of the vaccination drive.