Rahul Gandhi urges PM Modi to halt exports, vaccinate all | Latest News India - Hindustan Times
close_game
close_game

Rahul Gandhi urges PM Modi to halt exports, vaccinate all

Apr 10, 2021 06:03 AM IST

In a letter to the PM, the Congress parliamentarian questioned if the export of Covid-19 vaccines was also an “oversight like many other decisions of this government” or was it an attempt to garner publicity “at the cost of our own citizens”.

New Delhi: Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to halt vaccine exports and demanded that the vaccination drive be opened to “everyone who needs it” amid a rise in the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) cases across the country.

“While our nation is facing vaccine starvation, more than 6 crore (60 million) vaccines have been imported,” Gandhi said.(File photo)
“While our nation is facing vaccine starvation, more than 6 crore (60 million) vaccines have been imported,” Gandhi said.(File photo)

In a letter to the PM, the Congress parliamentarian questioned if the export of Covid-19 vaccines was also an “oversight like many other decisions of this government” or was it an attempt to garner publicity “at the cost of our own citizens”.

Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now.

“While our nation is facing vaccine starvation, more than 6 crore (60 million) vaccines have been imported,” Gandhi said. “The state governments are repeatedly highlighting vaccine shortages only to receive intemperate statements by the Union minister of health and family welfare targeting Opposition-ruled states, undercutting cooperative federalism which you too have stressed as essential,” he added in the letter.

To be sure, HT reported on March 25 that the government would focus on its domestic vaccination programme and that supplies to other countries would be made only after meeting the country’s needs, but there is no stated export ban.

Several states continued to warn that they would run out of vaccines in the next few days, prompting Union health minister Harsh Vardhan to reiterate on Friday that there was no shortage and the country has more than 43 million doses in stock or in the pipeline. To be sure, the problem seems to be more a result of last-mile allocation of vaccines within states, since, at the aggregate level, all of them have at least as many doses as they administer in a couple of days.

On Saturday, data collated by HT showed that this number was a little under 42 million on Saturday.

Stating that India’s vaccination programme was moving at a “snail’s pace” despite having a first-mover advantage, the 50-year-old Congress leader, in a veiled reference to PM’s photo on vaccination certificates, said that the drive “has to move beyond an individual’s picture on the vaccine certificate, towards guaranteeing maximum vaccination”.

India has, so far, administered 97.87 million vaccine doses till Friday night, according to HT’s vaccine tracker. Of this, 12,295,065 people have received both doses and 73,280,915 have received one dose. On Friday, India added 144,923 new cases in a single day, taking its overall tally to 13,202,777; 773 people died from Covid-10 in the past 24 hours.

Gandhi has become the latest to demand the opening up of India’s vaccination programme. The Indian Medical Association (IMA) and several chief ministers have appealed to the central government to open vaccination for all people above the age of 18 of years. Experts have also pointed out that in the case of the coronavirus disease, no one is safe till everyone is safe – and in this case this means everyone over the age of 18 (neither of the vaccines in use in India has yet been approved for those below the age of 18). Other experts pointed that even if vaccines must be administered in a prioritised manner, it would make sense to prioritise urban centres, especially those that are seeing a huge surge in infections.

The government, however, has opted to stick to a phased approach to vaccination.

“It is a common question that is being asked these days that why are not Covid-19 vaccinations being opened for all; why can’t all adults be given it. To those, I want to say that Covid-19 vaccination drive is essentially meant to serve two purposes: to prevent deaths and the other purpose is to protect your health care system. In the middle of a pandemic, the main aim is not to administer the vaccine to those who want it but to those who need it,” health secretary Rajesh Bhushan said in a press conference on Tuesday.

In his letter, the Congress leader asked the PM to double the central allocation for vaccine procurement from the existing 35,000 crore and give state governments a greater say in vaccine procurement and distribution.

“Give state governments a greater say in vaccine procurement and distribution and provide direct income support to the vulnerable sections in the disastrous second [Covid-19] wave,” Gandhi said and added that a large section of the “poor have been excluded [from the drive] due to the initial mandatory online”.

His suggestions came a day after Modi, during a meeting with chief ministers, said vaccines will have to be prioritised due to limited supply and lamented that some people were playing politics on the issue. “Those who have the habit of doing politics, let them do so. I have faced much criticism, but we remain committed to serving the people,” he said.

In a series of tweets, Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad countered Gandhi. “After failing as a part-time politician, has Rahul Gandhi switched to full time lobbying? First he lobbied for fighter plane companies by trying to derail India’s acquisition programme. Now he is lobbying for pharma companies by asking for arbitrary approvals for foreign vaccines.”

Prasad said fighting a pandemic was not a one-trick game. “Apart from vaccination, there needs to be adequate focus on testing, tracing & treating. Rahul Gandhi’s problem is that he doesn’t understand all this and his ignorance is compounded by his arrogance,” he tweeted.

Hitting back, Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said: “Dear Sh. Prasad, Look around you, the 2nd wave of #COVID19 has hit us. We will lobby for- Direct Income Support to the vulnerable sections as partial lockdowns happen. So stop riling, frothing & steaming up. Start serving India & fellow Indians. Follow ‘Raj Dharma’.”

Unveiling Elections 2024: The Big Picture', a fresh segment in HT's talk show 'The Interview with Kumkum Chadha', where leaders across the political spectrum discuss the upcoming general elections. Watch now!

Get Current Updates on India News, Election 2024, Arvind Kejriwal News Live, Bihar Board 10th Result 2024 Live along with Latest News and Top Headlines from India and around the world.
SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Share this article
SHARE
Story Saved
Live Score
OPEN APP
Saved Articles
Following
My Reads
Sign out
New Delhi 0C
Thursday, March 28, 2024
Start 14 Days Free Trial Subscribe Now
Follow Us On