A Decentralized Approach Could Help Turn The Tide Against Covid

Livemint     10th May 2021     Save    
QEP Pocket Notes

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.
QEP Pocket Notes