Keypoints:
- SII CEO Adar Poonawalla has admitted that he is facing immense pressure from “some of the most powerful people in India”. These people are demanding supplies of Covishield.
- He also said that the company is planning to start production of vaccine in the UK.
- He said that everything falls on his shoulders when it is about delivering vaccines to millions in India.
On Saturday, CEO of Serum Institute of India, Adar Poonawalla spoke about the pressure he was going through over the vaccines of Covid-19 to meet the ever increasing demand in India. Currently, the country is witnessing devastating second wave of Covid-19 and the situation is very alarming.
Earlier this week, Poonawalla was provided with Y’ category security by the Indian government. In an interview with The Times’, he told that he was receiving aggressive calls from some of the most powerful people in India, demanding supplies of Covishield — the Oxford/AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine that the Serum Institute is producing in the country.
He said that the pressure is largely behind his decision to fly to London to be with his children and wife.
“I’m staying here (London) for an extended time because I don’t want to go back to that situation. Everything falls on my shoulders but I can’t do it alone…I don’t want to be in a situation where you are just trying to do your job, and just because you can’t supply the needs of X, Y or Z you really don’t want to guess what they are going to do”, Poonawalla told the newspaper.
As per the Indian Government, protection to the 40 year old entrepreneur has been provided in a view of “potential threats” to him.
“The level of expectation and aggression is really unprecedented. It’s overwhelming. Everyone feels they should get the vaccine. They can’t understand why anyone else should get it before them”, Poonawalla said.
In the interview, he indicated that his move to London in linked with business plans to expand manufacturing of vaccines outside India, which may include the likes of UK.
We’re really gasping for all the help we can get, Poonawalla said in the Times’ interview.
I don’t think even God could have forecast it was going to get this bad, he said.
He has told Financial Times that the vaccine shortage in India is likely to continue till July. The current production is at 60-70 million per month, it won’t increase to 100 million doses before July.
Netizens have a lot to say, while some sympathised with the businessman and took a dig at the current government, some criticized him over the cost of vaccines.
