Indian media is celebrating the words, “I appreciate your government’s efforts as it has selflessly donated nearly 8 million immunizations with at least 38 countries.” in a letter received by India’s Ambassador to the USA. It has been written by US Congresswoman Joyce Beatty who is the leader of the Black Caucus, an influential Congressional group championing human rights and help to poor and needy. India has surely leaped into the front-row seat in the post-Covid world order due to its large-scale implementation capabilities demonstrated in handling the pandemic while considering the welfare of all at home with Sabka Saath and abroad with Vaccine Maitri.
Covishield, Covaxin, ZyCov-D, Sputnik V, COVOVAX, CORBEVAX vaccine, and now Sputnik light in the pipeline – India surely has managed to be on top of vaccine development, manufacturing, transportation, and administration at an unprecedented level. As against 542 million doses in the USA, India has managed to administer 1,689 million doses at a war footing. Further, India has supplied around 150 million doses to 98 countries (Covishield, Covaxin, Covovax).
This has not been an easy ride for sure that India has braved 3rd wave very effectively and is almost back to normalcy. Starting with a lookout of only 450-550 million doses in Nov2020 and huge concerns of geographical mobility difficulties, lack of cold storage facilities, and other factors leading to vaccine wastage India had a mountain to move. Fearing the crowding in coming to vaccination centres was genuine and caused valid reluctance.
Walk-in coolers and walk-in freezers helped in building over 29,000 storage points all over India. Leadership across the levels engaged in virtual meetings for hours on end every day with vaccine manufacturers, vaccine transport agencies, storage centres, cold chain points, and COVID Vaccination Centres. This was done to ensure that every drop of the available vaccines is used as optimally as possible.
Training the ASHA workers at war footing, developing CoWIN platform, and deploying effectively to manage vaccination efforts were masterstrokes. Vaccine Hesitancy was actively resolved by leading from the front as Prime Minister Narendra Modi shared images of taking vaccines early morning at AIIMS. Misinformation and fake news combatting were done by engaging in talks with the community and religious, political leaders. Door-to-door campaigning, ‘Har ghar dastak’ involved health workers, nurses and teachers – which went door to door, counselling and enrolling people, and issuing appointment tokens for vaccination.
On 18th September 2,50,10,390 covid vaccines were administered. This is 10,42,100 per hour or 17,368 per minute or 289 doses per second. None of the developed nations have been able to come anywhere close to this scale and is a testimony of transforming the Public Health Care system under Ayushman Bharat. India has shown a large-scale implementation capability not seen anywhere else in the world, and India does it with the ethos of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’, as appreciated by the black caucus.
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