Isn’t it plain common sense that if Indian States start directly floating themselves global tenders to procure Vaccine supplies, the PharmaGiants are simply being given an easy opportunity make a “killing” — by offering and negotiating varying terms & conditions to different Chief Ministers and playing off one State against the other ?!
This seems to be a ridiculous, panic-driven policy .
Is the Government of India simply abdicating its responsibility here ?
Clearly the states like TN who are threatening the GoI with this insidious proposal are doing so only to embarrass the Modi Government…It’s a stunt intended to make it appear as though the Indian State is “falling away”, collapsing being unable to deal with the Covid second wave crisis (as the latest Economist UK magazine mischievously editorialises India’s plight) and its inefficiency in delivering vaccines to states is leading to a monumental failure of the vaccination schedules for the entire country!
So States like TN have seized the moment to press their political and financial advantage: since the GoI cannot supply vaccines adequately we will take over and float our own tenders. We will strike deals on our own terms and the GoI can stay out of it .. this is after a federal system under which the Centre and State relate to each other.
CM Stalin probably is also cleverly sending out a message that his stock is higher abroad than Modi’s and he can procure vaccines on better terms from global suppliers than GoI . (aaha! .. a future PM candidate in the making for 2024, perhaps? )
A free-for-all vaccine procurement policy in India spells most certainly nothing but an unqualified disaster.
Does India think that multinational pharma-giant companies which today make and sell vaccines to the world are in it for philanthropy or profit?
Sudarshan Madabushi
