The Centre should “wake up” at least now and the Prime Minister or the government should talk to the countries where Covishield (AstraZeneca) vaccines are “lying unused” and import them for quickening the pace of the vaccination drive in the country since it is the only solution to control the pandemic, said Information Technology Minister K.T. Rama Rao on Friday.
Mincing no words, the Minister blasted the Centre for “ill-planned and ill-conceived” vaccination drive of not importing vaccines when required but resorting to exporting them. Later, the Centre announced opening up of vaccination for 18-44 age group “without any thought” about the supply constraints at a time when 263 crore doses were required for the programme.
Mr. Rama Rao was speaking after inaugurating the 150-bed Intensive Care Unit project at Telangana Institute of Medical Sciences (TIMS) at Gachibowli. It was sponsored by HYSEA (Hyderabad Software Enterprises Association) member companies — Microsoft, Qualcomm, Franklin Templeton, Cognizant and WellsFargo.
“Hyderabad is the vaccine capital for the world but it is because of thoughtless policies of the Centre that the vaccination phase is slow when it should have been completed by now. My information is that there are at least 50 crore vaccine doses stockpiled in US and Europe, and those can be procured for vaccinating our people,” he said.
Telangana government, on the other hand, has recognised vulnerable sections and has begun vaccinating high-risk category people like taxi drivers, auto drivers and delivery boys who could be potential super-spreaders. “Our ongoing third household fever survey and distribution of medical kits too is yielding results and hence our caseload is low when compared to the neighbouring States,” he claimed.
While the pandemic has exposed the gaping inadequacies in the healthcare systems and the government would be working towards strengthening the medical infrastructure, the IT Industry has been helping with ₹80 crore worth of assistance last year and now almost ₹15 crore, he noted and expressed his gratitude.
HYSEA in association with its NGO partner ‘NIRMAAN’ has been providing home isolation kits, livelihood re-starter kits, ration and hygiene kits to the needy. About 75 existing ICU beds in TIMS and 20 in Fever Hospital have been upgraded and another 75 new ICU beds will be ready in TIMS by mid-July.
Ventilators, oxygen cylinders, oxygen concentrators, beds, masks, flow meters and other vital equipment were also provided to these and also to Area Hospital at Kondapur, Sarojini Devi Eye Hospital, Niloufer Hospital, Gandhi Hospital and King Koti Hospital. More than 35 corporate partners contributed about ₹14.5 crore to the mission while an oxygen plant sponsored by Qualcomm is being set up in Nizamabad at a cost of ₹2.5 crore, said president Bharani K. Aroll.
Another 10-bed ICUs in 28 hospitals in districts of Kamareddy, Medchal-Malkajgiri, Medchal-Ghatkesar, Mulugu, Rangareddy-Vanasthalipuram, Mahbubnagar and Jadcherla.
IT & Industries secretary Jayesh Ranjan, Cyberabad Police Commissioner V. C. Sajjanar, Rangareddy collector Amoy Kumar, Director of Medical Education K. Ramesh Reddy and TIMS director Vimala Thomas were present.
