We welcome the government's plan to inoculate nearly 14 crore people in phases against Covid-19 under a Tk 6,786 crore pandemic preparedness project. The budget includes Tk 1,175 crore for COVAX vaccines purchased at subsidised prices; Tk 2,262 crore for direct purchase from COVAX or other sources; Tk 68 crore as shipping cost; Tk 384 crore for vaccine transport and operational expenses; and Tk 346 crore for vaccine preservation, cold chain, and supply chain management. Aside from procuring, preserving, and distributing the vaccines, the other major project functions include installing modern microbiology laboratories alongside PCR machines at 27 medical colleges and hospitals in the country—alongside other initiatives that are badly needed to boost our already strained healthcare sector.

So far, we are reassured by the plan. But given the huge logistical challenges of the initiative, we must warn against mismanagement. On many occasions in the past when dealing with such big projects—not that any other can be compared with this one, given the gravity of the crisis brought about by the pandemic—we had failed to rise to the occasion. We hope this time the government will do a good job and take all the necessary steps for the project to succeed.

But in order for that to happen, the government must guard against corruption, misappropriation and adulteration at every step. We cannot afford for any of the vaccines to disappear and then reappear in the black market, nor for it to be unavailable to those that it is intended for. Those who are at greater risk such as essential workers and the elderly should be given priority. The initiative must be transparent and needs to have good monitoring. Any form of corruption will not only harm the project itself, but also our national interest. Therefore, it is vital for the government to ensure that it is capable of absorbing the vast challenges that are no doubt associated with this massive undertaking.