January 4, 2021
The MoU will expedite the transportation of temperature-sensitive vaccine consignments at all levels of the supply chain.
IT/ITes partners are developing solutions to track the movement of consignment.
The Covaxin vaccine has been approved by the Government of India for widespread implementation.
The current points of origin for the medical sourcing chain in India are Kolkata, Karnal, Chennai and Mumbai.
An MoU has been signed between the Dubai Airport and the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, Hyderabad to expedite the passage of COVID-19 vaccine-related consignments. The MoU falls within the larger umbrella of the HYDXB-VAXCOR (Hyderabad to Dubai Global Vaccine Corridor) initiative that will enable stakeholders of the logistics sector to transport temperature-sensitive vaccine cargo as per requirement. A seamless transportation process to ensure the development, mass manufacturing, and delivery to parties in need is expected to be installed through the programme. Partners in the IT/ITes space are working on an optimal tracking technology to help make the process more methodical. Paul Griffiths, CEO of Dubai Airports remarked “Our partnership with GMR-Hyderabad is timed perfectly just as the global race to develop the vaccines enters the final stage. This corridor is the result of our proactive strategy to be ready with innovative, collaborative and agile shipping solutions for the industry,” The signatories of the MoU included Eugene Barry, EVP-Commercial, Dubai Airports Corporation, Pradeep Panicker, CEO-GMRHIA, and Saurabh Kumar, CEO-GMRHAC.
The Covaxin vaccine has been approved by the Government of India for mass vaccination drives while the Covishield vaccine is currently undergoing clinical trials. The Hyderabad to Dubai Global Vaccine Corridor is an initiative that will help strengthen global supply chains crucial to combatting the COVID-19 pandemic. Experts observe that the current medical sourcing and supply chain network in India will need to be substantially increased from its current points of origin in Kolkata, Karnal, Chennai and Mumbai.
As the pandemic is one of unprecedented proportions, gaps in global supply chains will require to be plugged. The primary challenge that the vaccine manufacturing and dispatch processes will have to overcome would be the need for a well-integrated and flexible cold chain network. Vaccines that have been mass-produced to inoculate the global population would require a corresponding quantum of storage. Technological aids will be required to track the dissemination of individual shots and the tabling of timelines for booster shots. Furthermore, proactive and responsible partners will have to be identified to help administer the primary and booster vaccines to the general public. Well-thought-out domestic and global strategies designed to successfully implement the widespread administration of the COVID-19 vaccine are the need of the hour.