BENGALURU: With just a few days left for the vaccine rollout in the country, the state government is still awaiting clarity on the financial burden. Like many states, Karnataka too is not sure as to what expense formula will be adopted for mass vaccination. Though states will receive the first round of vaccines through Government Medical Store Depots (GMSDs) for free, experts believe that there is still a lack of clarity on the other phases.
States need to prepare for the next plan of action and need to see if they will have the capacity to handle the entire programme on their own especially at a time when they are cash-strapped, say experts. “It would be good to have clarity to ensure a smooth rollout of the vaccination programme. And also for planning, especially at the state level – as the cost is not insignificant,” said Bioethics researcher Dr Anant Bhan.
However, sources from the state health ministry claimed that the Centre may roll out the vaccines for all three phases for free. “Though Karnataka is cash-strapped and has been seeking more financial assistance from the Centre to tide over the losses due to the pandemic and the lockdown, it can still manage the vaccination situation,” said a health official.
But a senior member from the state task force committee said that the Centre will come out with a policy on who will pay and who will not. “All those engaged in the pandemic, healthcare and frontline workers will get it for free. The rest, with regards to those above 50-55 years of age, we don’t know whether they have to be given it for free or have to be charged.
We expect to get clarity on this soon,” the official said. While the first phase of the vaccine is not going to be a headache for the states, it needs to be seen whether the government bears the fiscal burden or transfers it to private players, which means people pay from their pockets to get vaccinated. According to health ministry sources, the Centre has advised state governments to explore using bank guarantees to finance the cost of buying vaccines.
Interestingly, in a recent report, FICCI-E&Y suggested that a big source of funding could come from India Inc. “Some corporates have come out with suggestions pertaining to the vaccination. Companies want the government to allow them to use corporate social responsibility (CSR) funds to vaccinate their employees,” a senior official said. However, the Centre is yet to respond to this suggestion.