A concrete Covid-19 vaccine distribution plan is finally taking shape in India.
Once a vaccine is available in the country, the government plans to immunise 30 million citizens 10 million healthcare workers in private and government-owned hospitals, and 20 million frontline workers that includes police, defence, and municipal workers in the first round, according to a Dec. 8 press release from the ministry of health and family welfare.
So far, three vaccine makers have applied for an emergency use authorisation of their coronavirus vaccines in India. These are Pfizer, Serum Institute of India, which is manufacturing the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, and Bharat Biotech for its Covaxin.
January 15, 2021
India’s mass immunisation plan for Covid-19 hinges on some of the lowest-paid workers in its healthcare system.
The first phase of the vaccine rollout, which begins on Jan. 16 and will cover healthcare and frontline workers, and will largely depend on trained vaccinators and supervisors. But once the vaccine rollout is opened out for the entire population, local healthcare mechanisms, especially those that depend on auxiliary nurse midwives (ANMs), and accredited social health activists (or Asha workers) will be crucial.
Asha workers (an acronym that translates as “hope” in Hindi), along with the volunteer Anganwadi workers, and the more qualified ANMs, form the backbone of community healthcare in India. They are hired by the states and their salaries paid by funds from the central and state governments. Nearly all of them are women.
January 14, 2021
As the Indian stock markets continue to rally, investors have found a new favourite: global fast-food chains.
Take for instance US-based Burger King. After the stellar debut on the bourse in December 2020, the company’s stock has gone up by more than 141% from its offer price of Rs60.
Similarly, Mrs Bector, a premium biscuit and bakery items manufacturer which supplies buns to outlets of KFC, Burger King, Carl’s Jr, and Westlife Development (which holds the franchise rights for McDonald’s in western and southern India), also received strong traction from investors. Its initial public offering was subscribed 198 times, and the stock now trades at around 48% premium to the IPO price of Rs288.
Though the overall consumer sentiment was gloomy, urban youth devised ways to uplift their spirits by bringing bits of outdoors into their indoor lives.