KOCHI: Even though India started its national Covid-19 vaccination programme on January 16 , only 1.1 crore vaccine doses have been administered across the country as on February 21. This constitutes only 0.60 per cent of Indian population being vaccinated as against global average of 2.26 per cent. In this regard, Thomas John Muthoot, chairman, CII Kerala State Council and chairman & MD, Muthoot Fincorp Limited, has called for the need to speed up the drive.
He suggested a multi-pronged public-private model wherein private hospitals could be permitted to administer vaccines so as to cover maximum population in the shortest possible span. The speed of administering the vaccine can be greatly enhanced if private sector is also given the permission to vaccinate the masses, he said. Accordingly, CII Kerala has requested the Kerala government to recommend the same to the Centre.
As a part of corporate social responsibility, CII proposed that companies be allowed to vaccinate their employees and immediate families and assist in rolling out the vaccine in surrounding communities. Private sector could play a pivotal role in enhancing essential supply so more than 80 per cent citizens are covered. CII has constituted a high-level taskforce on Covid-19 vaccines with the objective of galvanising industry support for distribution and inoculation of member companies.