CII Urges Govt To Include Private Sector In Covid-19 Vaccination Drive

The exercise will allow the government to reach its identified target priority groups quicker, which will be critical for getting the workforce back to work and the economy back on track.

(Representative Image/ Getty)

New Delhi: A month after banker Uday Kotak wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to include the private sector in India's vaccination rollout, industry body Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) sought industry's partnership with the government in the massive inoculation drive and could play a significant role in this regard. The government is yet to involve the Indian private sector in Covid vaccinations even as the country's vaccination coverage has increased to 9.8 million doses, with India ranking third after the US and the UK.

"Industry can supplement and contribute to the Government's program with appropriate checks and balances, throughout the envisaged three phases, so as to further reach out the vaccine to those sections of the population who can contribute to the economic revival of the country," said Mr. TV Narendran, President-Designate, and Chairman of CII's Vaccine Task Force.

"To action the effective rollout of the vaccines, CII has constituted a High-Level Taskforce on Covid-19 Vaccines with the objective of galvanizing Industry support for distribution and inoculation of the employees of member companies and also in the larger community where members have a role to play through CSR interventions."

Using its pan India network, CII has been sharing critical data and expertise with NEGVAC as well as engaging in communication and outreach on the vaccination program, said the industry body.
Considering that the second phase of inoculating those over 50 years will be a particularly challenging task, with requirements for significantly increased vaccinating sites and vaccinators, CII has come out with three key recommendations.

Firstly, consider industry participation in ramping up the vaccination programme. CII suggested to ensure faster rollout and provide confidence to workers at the workplace, and business enterprises could be permitted to vaccinate their employees and immediate family members. Enterprises could assist in the vaccine rollout for surrounding communities on a CSR basis as well.

It is estimated that such a program could benefit an additional 100 million workers in the formal sector and local communities by providing access to the vaccine. While contributing to the government's plan, the industry would fully comply with all the guidelines instituted by the government.

Secondly, CII suggests that private providers, with appropriate checks and balances, be allowed to vaccinate and support the government to utilize the available vaccines and amplify the number of vaccinations with all necessary norms and compliances.

The exercise will allow the government to reach its identified target priority groups quicker, which will be critical for getting the workforce back to work and the economy back on track.

Thirdly, as all vaccines have a finite period of longevity and the matter of possible expiry of many of these vaccines is of national concern, it is recommended that all stakeholders must contribute in a manner that all vaccines available in the country are well utilized and well in time. By opening the vaccination process to the private sector, the large cohort of those willing to take the vaccines would enable full utilization of the vaccines within the expiry period.

CII has suggested that Industry be involved fully in the massive inoculation to ensure that the vaccines reach those that most need them in an accessible and equitable manner, with the private and public sector's joint support towards this national mission.

In this most critical national mission, CII and its members stand in full support of the government and are ready to complement with expediting and fast-tracking the vaccine rollout. CII has also worked out a detailed communication strategy that seeks to encourage priority groups to come forward and support this national drive, the industry body said.