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'Must resist temptation': Manmohan Singh's 5 suggestions for PM on Covid-19
He also asked PM Modi for resisting the "temptation" to look at absolute numbers vaccinated and instead focus on the percentage of the population vaccinated.
Former prime minister Manmohan Singh on Sunday wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the raging coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic, where he raised the issue of vaccination. Singh called for "expanding the nationwide vaccination programme to more beneficiaries" to successfully manage the pandemic.
"We must resist the temptation to look at the absolute numbers being vaccinated, and focus instead on the percentage of the population vaccinated," Singh said in his letter.
Noting that India currently has vaccinated only a small fraction of its population, Singh said he is certain that with the right policy design, "we can do much better and very quickly".
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The former prime minister also asked the Centre to tell about the Covid vaccine orders placed for the next six months, and how these will be distributed to the states.
The Congress leader suggested 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 roll out." He added that the states should be given some flexibility to define categories of frontline workers who can be vaccinated even if they are below 45 years.
Currently, people above 45 years of age are eligible for vaccination.
In the list of suggestions to the Centre, Singh also appealed to PM Modi to assist vaccine producers "with funds and other concessions" so that they expand their manufacturing facilities quickly.
The letter comes a day after the Congress Working Committee (CWC) held a meeting on the Covid-19 situation. Singh is part of the CWC along with other senior Congress leaders.
Earlier in the day, the Union ministry of health and family welfare, announced that India vaccinated more than 122 million people against the Covid-19 in a span of just 92 days. The United States achieved a similar feat in 97 days while China achieved a similar milestone in 108 days, the ministry also said.
In the last 24 hours, India vaccinated more than 2.6 million people, pushing the total number of vaccinated people to 122,622,590 people, it added.
In terms of cases, the nationwide tally rose to 14,788,109 after 2,61,500 people tested positive for Covid-19. The number of total fatalities increased to 177,150 after 1,501 people succumbed to the viral disease.
