Bharat Biotech hails Rs 35k cr budget allocation for COVID-19 vaccination

Covaxin maker Bharat Biotech onMonday described as ''far reaching'' initiative the allocationof Rs 35,000 crore for COVID-19 vaccination in the UnionBudget and said it would help the country become free of theviral disease.

Dr. Reddys Laboratories Ltd said the budget was growth-oriented with a lot of positive interventions and with''something in it for everyone''.

Welcoming the proposal for Rs 35,000 crore outlay forCOVID-19 vaccines, city-based Bharat Biotech Chairman andManaging Director Krishna Ella said ''Its a great step ahead,and far-reaching budget announcement., providing Rs 35,000crore for COVID-19 vaccination in 2021-22.'' The Finance Minister's commitment providing more funds inorder to contain the coronavirus pandemic and provide aneffective, smooth path for the vaccination scheme ''will helpcontain, and lead our nation towards accomplishing a COVID-19disease free Bharat,'' he said in statement here.

The indigenous COVID-19 vaccine Covaxin and Oxford'sCovishield are being produced in the country and used duringthe ongoing inoculation drive.

The Rs 64,180 crore spending plan for healthcare over thenext six years to be spent on primary, secondary and tertiaryhealthcare, in addition to the National Health Mission wasalso a welcome move, he said.

This would strengthen public health services as 17,000rural and 11,000 urban health and wellness centres andintegrated public health labs would be set up in eachdistrict, Ellasaid.

The government focus, on three areas - preventivehealth, curative health and well-being, was also veryreassuring, he said.

''With this landmark budget, the Government of India hassignalled its intention to make health a cornerstone of thefuture success of our country. The allocation to vaccinessignals a shift to preventive health care, a validation of thefact that vaccines are the most cost effective health careinterventions, he added.

Chairman of Dr Reddy's K Satish Reddy said the governmenthas taken a big step on healthcare, making an outlay of 2.23lakh crores, a 137 per cent increase from last year, a stepthat was ''long overdue''.

''On innovation and R&D (Research and Development), theadditional allocation of Rs 50,000 crore over five yearsthrough the National Research Foundation marks a goodbeginning in improving the research eco-system in thecountry, he opined.

As with all budgets, this too contained concreteproposals that were encouraging but it was the execution thatfinally matters, he said, expressing hope this time thegovernment gets it right.