By Pooja Shrivastava
INDIA’s most populous state, Uttar Pradesh (UP), will spend up to $1.36 billion to buy COVID-19 shots for its people. Talks were held early this week with companies such as Pfizer and the local partner of the maker of Russia's Sputnik V, a state official said on Thursday (13).
UP officials also held pre-bid talks with the Serum Institute of India (SII) and Bharat Biotech to buy 40 million doses over the next few months.
"Money is not an issue, we have a huge budget," said Navneet Sehgal, a senior bureaucrat in the state of 240 million people. "We will spend up to 100 billion rupees ($1.36 billion)."
He added that funds will be diverted from other areas to procure vaccines.
Meanwhile, a top government advisor announced today that more than two billion doses of coronavirus vaccines will likely be available in India between August to December this year.
The doses would include 750 million of AstraZeneca's vaccine produced by the Serum Institute of India (SII), as well as 550 million doses of Covaxin, made by Bharat Biotech, government advisor V K Paul told reporters at a news conference on Thursday (13).
The news comes amidst reports of several states curtailing vaccination drives due to an acute shortage of shots as the pandemic continues to surge across the country. The shortage has led about nine Indian states to reportedly float global tender individually.
The news of a state buying vaccines individually is drawing criticism for the central government. The Modi government opened vaccinations to all adults from May 1, doubling the number of people eligible to an estimated 800 million while production remained flat at about 80 million a month resulting in acute shortage after which several states are left on their own to procure more vaccines.
“Indian states left to compete/fight with each other in the international market. UP fighting Maha, Maha fighting Orissa, Orissa fighting Delhi. Where is “India”? Portrays such a bad image of India India, as one country, shud procure vaccines on behalf of all Indian states Portrays such a bad image of India. India, as one country, should procure vaccines on behalf of all Indian states," tweeted Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal.
Central government officials and the health ministry are yet to respond on the matter.
