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Harsh Vardhan lists 'factual inaccuracies' in Manmohan Singh's letter to PM: Read excerpts here
On Sunday, Singh wrote to PM Modi in the backdrop of an unprecedented rise in Covid-19 cases. He asked PM Modi for resisting the "temptation" to look at absolute numbers vaccinated, instead, he suggested that the government should focus on the percentage of the population vaccinated.
A day after Manmohan Singh wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the country’s vaccination strategy, Union health minister Harsh Vardhan on Monday responded to the senior Congress leader. Harsh Vardhan requested Singh to ask his party workers to also follow the same advice in their own respective states. In the letter, the Union health minister apprised Singh of India's "biggest and fastest" vaccination drive in the world and said "you advise not to get tempted to go by absolute numbers, but to go by percentage of the population "is not incorrect." "However, I am sure that you will agree with me that this is a practice that must be followed uniformly and junior members of your party too must follow your advice," he wrote.
On Sunday, Singh wrote to PM Modi in the backdrop of an unprecedented rise in Covid-19 cases. He asked PM Modi for resisting the "temptation" to look at absolute numbers vaccinated, instead, he suggested that the government should focus on the percentage of the population vaccinated. Singh also stated, "Centre should tell Covid vaccine orders placed for next 6 months, how vaccines will be distributed to states." In one of the suggestion, Singh wrote that the Centre may retain 10 per cent for distribution based on emergency needs "but other than that, states should have a clear signal of likely availability so that they can plan their rollout."
Harsh Vardhan posted his letter on Twitter as said that "history will be kinder to you Dr Manmohan Singh ji if your offer of ‘constructive cooperation and valuable advice was followed by his party leaders as well. "It is saddening, Dr Singh, that while you very well understand the importance of vaccination as an important method of fighting the COVID-19 battle, people in responsible positions in your party as well as in the state governments formed by your party do not seem to share your view," Harsh Vardhan said.
Read key points here:
"The emphasis you have laid on vaccination as an important tool to fight COVID-19 is well taken, which is exactly why India launched the world's biggest vaccination drive and also became the fastest in the world to reach the milestones of 10, 11 and 12 crore administered doses."
"It cannot be that the discussion on total cases, active cases or mortality is based on absolute numbers, which the Congress party often tries to do, but the vaccination numbers continue to be touted as a percentage of the population covered. "
"It is saddening, Dr Singh, that while you very well understand the importance of vaccination as an important method of fighting the COVID-19 battle, people in responsible positions in your party as well as in the state governments formed by your party do not seem to share your view. Shouldn't it be a matter of pride that India is perhaps the only developing country to have 2 vaccines?"
"Let alone thanking scientists, many Congress members and Congress-ruled slate governments have taken extraordinary interest in spreading falsehoods regarding the efficacy of these vaccines, thereby fuelling vaccine hesitancy, and playing with the lives of our countrymen."
"The irresponsible public pronouncements made by some of your leaders have resulted in a below national average vaccination coverage of senior citizens and even front-line workers in some of the Congress-ruled states."
"However, it does seem that those who drafted your letter or advised you, have done a great disservice to your standing by misleading you regarding material that is already in public domain."
"The same is the case with your suggestion regarding providing funds and other concessions to augment vaccine manufacturing This decision had also been taken many days before receipt of your letter and multiple vaccine manufacturing entities have been funded by the government to immediately enhance production."
Vaccination drive in India
The cumulative number of Covid-19 vaccine doses administered in the country has crossed 123 million on Monday as part of the world's largest vaccination drive, said the ministry of health and family Welfare. According to the ministry, cumulatively, 12,38,52,566 vaccine doses have been administered through 18,37,373 sessions, as per the provisional report till 7 am today. The ministry stated that over 24 lakh vaccination doses were administered in the last 24 hours.
Chief ministers of states like Maharashtra, Delhi and Jharkhand, have said they are facing a severe shortage of essentials, including oxygen supply and medicines like Remdesivir. Over the past few days, they have also written to the Centre seeking intervention and adequate supply.
