India News: Given India’s growing strategic importance, its wave of infections risks not only the fledgling recovery in Asia’s third-largest economy, but attempts
Apr 30, 2021
When India launched its COVID-19 vaccination drive in mid-January, the chances of success looked high: It could produce more shots than any country in the world and had decades of experience inoculating pregnant women and babies in rural areas.
“Our preparation has been such that vaccine is fast reaching every corner of the country,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Jan. 22. “On the world’s biggest need today, we are completely self-reliant. Not just that, India is also helping out many countries with vaccines.”
Just over three months later, that initial promise has evaporated and the government’s plans are in disarray. India has fully vaccinated less than 2% of its 1.3 billion-strong population, inoculation centers across the country say they’re running short of doses and exports have all but stopped. Rather than building protection, the South Asian nation is setting daily records for new infections as a second wave overwhelms hospitals and
How India’s Vaccine Drive Crumbled and Left a Country in Chaos
Bloomberg 8 hrs ago Bibhudatta Pradhan, Archana Chaudhary and Sudhi Ranjan Sen
(Bloomberg) When India launched its Covid-19 vaccination drive in mid-January, the chances of success looked high: It could produce more shots than any country in the world and had decades of experience inoculating pregnant women and babies in rural areas.
“Our preparation has been such that vaccine is fast reaching every corner of the country,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Jan. 22. “On the world’s biggest need today, we are completely self-reliant. Not just that, India is also helping out many countries with vaccines.”
outlookindia.com 2021-04-23T13:49:13+05:30
On April 14, a record 6.28 lakh people were vaccinated in Andhra Pradesh, the highest in a day in any state. Chief minister Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy attributed the success to the Village Secretariat system and asked other states to replicate it as an effective model of governance for judicious delivery of benefits to the right people. Based on 2.6 lakh village and ward volunteers, the system was put in place by Reddy’s party after its good show in the 2019 general elections in the state. The volunteers’ primary duty is to deliver all government welfare benefits directly at the doorsteps of beneficiaries, even those living in far-flung and inaccessible areas. This network has also helped Andhra Pradesh handle the second Covid surge effectively. Each volunteer covers 50 families, which helps in reaching out to every household for vaccination.