Diagnostic labs are ready to lead India’s COVID-19 vaccination drive

At the peak of the second wave, India faced its biggest challenge – there were not enough vaccines being produced. With approvals for Moderna and Sputnik vaccines, India’s healthcare is slowly crossing this hurdle, and the future appears brighter. However, our fight against COVID-19 has just begun, as vaccine storage and inoculation concerns are stressing India’s recovering healthcare ecosystem. Fortunately, India’s diagnostic network remains untapped, and it can become the strong distribution network that India desperately needs to become COVID-19 free.

The role of diagnostic labs
During COVID-19, diagnostic labs aided in quick testing of individuals, enabling governments to stop the spread of the virus. They have also been a huge support in identifying the nature of the SARS-CoV-2 virus and its mutations as well.

India’s slow ascent from the second wave
The second wave of COVID-19 stressed India’s healthcare system, and this added burden has diminished public healthcare resources. During April and May 2021, India was reporting over 400,000 cases each day.

Alarmingly, our next problem is low inoculation rates; our monthly inoculation rates have begun to drop, especially in COVID-19 hotspots, such as Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, and even Delhi. For instance, on July 11, 1.33 million doses were administered, which is the lowest since May 30. As the government strives toward achieving 10 million vaccine doses a day, it is clear India could benefit with the right synergies to fortify their frontlines.

Diagnostic labs are poised to build India’s resilience
The widespread vaccination drive undertaken by the government has definitely started to show results. However, vaccinating a nation with over 1.3 billion people calls for a stronger distribution network. While the central government has taken several steps to improve the availability of the vaccine; storage and delivery of the vaccine still remains a problem. As the lack of manpower and low community penetration obstruct vaccine delivery, especially in rural areas, private diagnostic companies with their lab and sample-collection networks, could emerge as the ideal vehicle to improve our inoculation rates.

To make quality testing accessible to the masses, during the pandemic, labs have expanded their reach not only in metropolitan cities, but even in Tier-III and Tier-IV regions as well. Due to this increased regional penetration, the privatized sample-collection network could be the perfect vehicle for vaccinating the masses. If the diagnostic ecosystem is also engaged to join the vaccination drive, this synergy would surely bring results that transcend expectations, with their improved manpower, reach, and medical expertise.

Mobile labs are next in the fight against COVID-19
Once diagnostic labs are engaged, the next step to improve vaccination would be to authorize and facilitate mobile labs for inoculating the population. These mobile labs with proper storage facilities, coupled with the trained workforce of private diagnostic labs, can penetrate local communities further, making the vaccine and testing accessible to all. With defined SOPs, such as the presence of a doctor, waiting area for patients, implementation of protocols defined by the government, and adding competent authorities, the government will be able to boost their daily inoculation rates, across urban and rural areas.

Exploring synergies with diagnostic service providers would help the government fix current challenges with vaccine distribution and accessibility, accelerating our journey toward a COVID-19-free India. As the central government has been beefing up India’s vaccine production efforts, vaccine distribution challenges are now taking the center stage. This is perhaps the most opportune moment for the government to explore synergies with diagnostic labs. To usher in standardization even for future healthcare crises, the government can define SOPs for diagnostic providers who wish to be part of this important national exercise, ensuring the presence of doctors, waiting area for patients, and adequate storage facilities to improve reach and scale. However, with regards to the ongoing pandemic, it appears that diagnostic labs carry all the right ammunition that will amp up India’s resilience against COVID-19, faster.