A Decentralized Approach Could Help Turn The Tide Against Covid

Livemint     10th May 2021     Save    

Context: Giving local governance structures the freedom to craft their own strategies could lend decision-making speed and agility.

Significance of decentralised governance structures

  • Have Advantages of ‘on ground’ information, monitoring and immediate action when it comes to tackling a public health emergency like the covid outbreak.
  • Encourages ownership and sharing of responsibility: While the centralised command-and-control approach leads to passing the buck for crisis decisions to alternative sources of authority.
  • Ensures community participation: Community participation has a significant role to play -
    • In containing the pandemic: The 17th-century English village, Eyam, which contained bubonic plague of 1665-66, became one of the most remarkable cases of self-quarantine in history.
      • Several resident welfare associations (RWAs) have been doing in Bengaluru, with the help of Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP)
    • In identifying vulnerable households: Supporting elderly and those in quarantine, and also in contact tracing.
    • In the provision of the essentials: They can also come together to order medical supplies such as oxygen concentrators, oxygen cylinders and medicines in bulk for community use.
  • Lesson from success stories: Success of district-level covid management like seen in ‘Kerala model’, ‘Bhilwara model’, ‘Dharavi model’ or ‘Karnataka model.’

Way forward

  • Emulate success models: ‘Kerala model’ of oxygen self-sufficiency through enhancing oxygen production capacity over the past one year by concerted efforts could be replicated in other states and sectors.
  • Avoid tiered vaccine pricing: Union government’s attempt to create multiple price points for three different categories of vaccine buyers (Central government, State government and private parties) has led to confusion.
    • Need for rationalisation: Vaccines to be offered to Central and state governments at a uniform price, whereas private sector may be provided price flexibility based on volumes procured.
  • Encourage cooperation: Industry associations, corporate entities, self-help groups, RWAs, traders’ associations, and political parties have to join forces and act locally down toward district and panchayat levels to win battle against the virus at national level.