Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the COVID-19 vaccination programme, lamenting that the country has managed to fully vaccinate less than one per cent of the population in three months despite having the first-mover advantage, and demanded opening up of the vaccination for all and an immediate ban on export of the vaccine.
In the letter dated April 8, the same day the prime minister held a meeting with chief ministers on the COVID-19 situation, especially focusing on the vaccination drive, Gandhi referred to the fresh surge in the number of infections, and said, “This is unfortunate, considering our scientific community and vaccine suppliers worked overtime to develop a solution, but their efforts are undermined by the Centre's poor implementation and 'oversight'.”
He said India had the first-mover advantage in vaccination and yet it was moving at a snail's pace. “Historically, India has achieved abundant experience in designing and executing some of the world's biggest vaccination programmes. Yet in the present case, we have managed to fully vaccinate less than one per cent of the population in three months. Countries with sizeable populations have managed to vaccinate relatively many more people,” he wrote.
Gandhi claimed that at the current vaccination rate, it would take years to inoculate 75 per cent of the population, and said it would have catastrophic effects and will gravely decelerate India's economy.
He criticised the government for permitting large-scale exports of vaccines, saying while the country faced vaccine starvation, more than 6 crore doses of vaccines have been exported.
Referring to state governments highlighting vaccine shortages, he said they were receiving “intemperate” statements by the Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare Harsh Vardhan, who he said was targeting opposition-ruled states.
“Was the export of vaccines also an 'oversight', like many other decisions of this government, or an effort to garner publicity at the cost of our own citizens?” Gandhi asked.
The Congress leader said “centralisation and individualised propaganda” were proving to be counter-productive. “Even though public health is a state subject, our states have been bypassed right from vaccine procurement to registration. Additionally, a large section of the poor have been excluded due to the initial mandatory online registration,” he said.
“The Congress party takes immense pride in building the framework over last 70 years to make India world's vaccine hub and, hence, we firmly support a well-planned, universalised and speedy vaccination drive,” Gandhi wrote. He added that the vaccination programme has to move beyond an individual's picture on the vaccine certificate, towards guaranteeing maximum vaccination, referring to the prime minister's picture on the vaccine certificates.
Gandhi urged the prime minister to open up vaccination to everyone who needs it and place an immediate moratorium on vaccine exports.
He said vaccine suppliers should be provided with necessary resources to increase manufacturing capacity, and the Central allocation for vaccine procurement be doubled from the existing Rs 35,000 crore.
Also among Gandhi's suggestions are fast-tracking approval of other vaccines as per norms and guidelines, giving state governments a greater say in vaccine procurement and distribution and
providing direct income support to the vulnerable sections during the second wave.