Thomas Isaac comes out against Centre’s Covid vaccination policy

The third phase of Centre’s vaccination policy is a setback to state governments reeling under financial crisis.
TM Thomas Isaac. (Photo | B P Deepu, EPS)
TM Thomas Isaac. (Photo | B P Deepu, EPS)

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The country is caught between Covid and Modi, Finance Minister Thomas Isaac has said. In a Facebook post on Thursday, Isaac severely criticised the Central government for passing the vaccine burden to state governments. 

“The Prime Minister and Central government are a bane for the country. They are out to rob people living under the grip of pandemic fear. Who other than Modi and his accomplices would hand over the right to fix vaccine prices to manufacturers? Modi and his accomplices are shamelessly saying that only the rich need to survive and the poor die. It is sad that there are people, some in our state too, who hail this policy,” he said.

The third phase of Centre’s vaccination policy is a setback to state governments reeling under financial crisis. The states will have to bear full expense of vaccinating people in the 18-45 age group. As per the 2011 Census, there were 46 core people in this age group. The present number would be 50 crore. The Serum Institute’s price for government hospitals is Rs 400 per dose. The cost for giving two doses would thus be Rs 40,000 crore. Isaac said the manufacturers have plans to raise the price to Rs 1,000 per dose. At the present price, Kerala will have to spend Rs 1,100 crore for vaccinating people in the 18-45 age group. 

The chief minister has said that he would keep his word on free vaccination, Isaac said. “But that doesn’t mean that the state will blindly accept the price fixed by the manufacturer or would recognise the Centre absolving itself of its responsibility. The BJP Government has sabotaged the country’s tradition of free and universal vaccination. The present policy will  lead to a situation in which the states compete among themselves and with private hospitals in vaccine purchase. The ideal option is the one in which the Centre buys the entire quota and distribute among states considering the number of Covid patients there, he said.    
Isaac likened the Centre’s vaccine policy to “penny wise and pound foolish”.  
Leading public health expert Dr S S Lal feels that all states should join hands against the Centre as it is everyone’s right to ensure they get the vaccines free of cost. “The latest vaccine policy by the Centre reveals how irresponsible they are. All states should pressurise the Centre at a time when Kerala is having the highest transmission rate. The Central Government should be taking a decision to give vaccines under a grading system. Now what we are going to see is that it is the marginalised and poor people who will be pushed out,” Dr Lal said.

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