As the new wave of Covid-19 pinned India down, there has been a spike in the demand for vaccine and other pandemic resources. With the central government liberalizing the vaccination drive, pressure has been mounting on medical supplies manufacturers and suppliers to fulfil the need of the hour.
At this juncture, it is imperative to assess the roles today’s entrepreneurs have been playing in the nation’s fight against the pandemic, along with the potential these large business-owners hold in finding vaccine solutions. While several entrepreneurs have already been making contributions on different fronts, providing vaccine to all is quite a challenge.
According to Sanjeev Nanda, Founder and MD of Dubai-based ISHVAN Pharmaceuticals, enabling vaccination booking on non-government platforms could have been a much easier task had there been a well-thought, centralized vaccination distribution policy implemented strictly across the country.
“There have certainly been loopholes in policy-making that are creating hurdles in resource procurement and supply. Also, there needs to be a robust response system in place to address the queries and doubts that occur in the minds of the beneficiaries. Several people are avoiding the vaccine due to rampant myths on social media. Masses need to be educated regarding the benefits of getting vaccinated,” said Sanjeev Nanda.
Despite the difficulties entrepreneurs are facing in finding vaccine solutions, many have actively overcome these hurdles through the presence of their ventures across the country. For instance, Mumbai-based health-tech unicorn PharmEasy announced plans to vaccinate over three crore families across the country over the next few quarters.
Another noteworthy example could be found in the form of Adar Poonawalla, whose biotech and pharma company Serum Institute of India (SII) spearheaded India’s Covid-19 vaccine development program. The largest vaccine manufacturer in the world, SII partnered with British-Swedish pharma giant AstraZeneca to develop Covishield vaccine.
Setting a great precedent are the businesses that do not belong to healthcare or pharmaceuticals domain. For example, Mumbai-based payments startup PayNearby leveraged its distribution network and rolled out plans for assisting citizens in enrolling for the vaccination drive.
At a time when the country is experiencing a humungous spike in the number of Covid-19 infections and deaths, and the healthcare system is on the brink of collapse, responsible entrepreneurship on part of large business-holders through contributions in furthering the vaccination drive is extremely important – for even a single remarkable act can infuse a renewed sense of hope for patients and their families, said Sanjeev Nanda.