From Manmohan to Mamata: Opposition leaders write to PM Modi, counsel measures amid Covid disaster

With the Covid-19 surge exhibiting no indicators of abating, a number of opposition leaders, together with former prime minister Manmohan Singh, have written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, expressing concern concerning the present scenario and highlighting the necessity to ramp up the vaccination drive.
Aside from Singh, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee and DMK chief MK Stalin have been the opposite leaders who dIspatched letters to the Prime Minister on Sunday.
Earlier, senior Congress chief Rahul Gandhi had written to PM Modi requesting him to open up “vaccination for everyone who needs it” whereas Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray had requested him to “press in” the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and make use of all choices, together with the airlift of medical oxygen, for speedy motion.

Singh, in his letter to Modi, acknowledged that the orders for doses of coronavirus vaccine positioned by the federal government ought to be made public and requested him to point out how the vaccines can be distributed throughout states based mostly on a clear formulation.

Singh instructed that any vaccine that has been cleared to be used by credible authorities, such because the European Medical Agency or the USFDA, ought to be allowed to be imported with out insisting on home bridging trials. “The relaxation could be for a limited period during which the bridging trials could be completed in India. All consumers of such vaccines could be duly cautioned that these vaccines are being allowed for use based on the approval granted by the relevant authority abroad,” he wrote.
Terming the Covid scenario within the nationwide capital as “very serious”, Delhi CM Kejriwal wrote to PM Modi looking for assist for beds and oxygen for coronavirus sufferers. Kejriwal additionally requested Modi for reserving at the least 7000 central authorities hospital beds out of the 10000 in Delhi for COVID sufferers, and a right away provide of oxygen.
“The COVID situation has become very serious in Delhi. There is a huge shortage of beds and oxygen. I request that at least 7,000 out of 10,000 beds in Central government hospitals in Delhi be reserved for COVID patients and oxygen be immediately provided in Delhi. We are making all efforts at our level. Your help is needed,” he added.
A well being employee collects a pattern for testing from an individual at Delhi’s Anand Vihar. (Express photograph by Amit Mehra)

Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee, in her letter to PM Modi, sought the Centre’s permission to “purchase vaccination doses directly with state funds and launch a massive free vaccination campaign in the state covering the entire population”.
She added, “The supply of Remedesivir and Tocilizumab is extremely scarce and uncertain today, which has been a matter of grave concern for doctors here. We need around Rs 6,000 vials of Remdesivir and 1,000 vials of Tocilizumab daily. However, at present only 1000 vials of Remdesivir is available daily and no fresh supply of Tocilizumab is coming. It may kindly be seen that the relevant authorities step up their efforts to ensure a steady supply of these most essential medicines as soon as possible.”
DMK chief MK Stalin in his letter urged the Prime Minister to direct officers to ship 20 lakh Covid vaccine doses ‘requisitioned’ by the Tamil Nadu authorities instantly and guarantee provides commensurate with the state’s inhabitants.
In view of the speedy improve within the variety of individuals getting contaminated, ‘universal vaccination’ is the necessity of the hour to guard lives, the DMK chief stated, and appealed to him to ‘take a policy decision swiftly’ over it.
Tamil Nadu would want extra vaccine doses than allotted now to perform efficient vaccinations, break the cycle of an infection and flatten the curve, he additional stated.

Earlier on April 13, Maharashtra CM Uddhav urged PM Modi to “press in” the National Disaster Management Authority and likewise to grant obligatory licenses to models exporting remdesivir to provide and promote them within the home market. “The biggest concern is Liquid Medical Oxygen (LMO) supply. The requirement of medical oxygen in the state is crossing the total capacity of 1,200 MT of LMO manufacturing. We have projected the demand will be close to 2,000 MT per day by April-end,” he wrote.
In one other letter, Thackeray requested the Prime Minister to take varied measures to supply reduction to the individuals affected by the pandemic.
Rahul Gandhi had additionally written to PM Modi, asking him to put a right away moratorium on the export of vaccines, quick observe approval of different vaccines and open up vaccination to everybody who wants it. Criticising the PM, Gandhi requested whether or not the export of vaccines was an effort to garner “publicity” at the price of India’s residents.
“India had the first-mover advantage in vaccination and yet we are moving at a snail’s pace. Historically, India has achieved abundant experience in designing and executing some of the world’s biggest vaccination programs. Yet in the present case, we have managed to fully vaccinate less than 1% of the population in 3 months,” his letter learn.

At the present fee of inoculation, it could take years to inoculate 75% of the inhabitants, Rahul stated. “This will have catastrophic effects and will gravely decelerate India’s economy,” he added
He additional stated, “Our vaccination programme has to move beyond an individual’s picture on the vaccine certificate, towards guaranteeing maximum vaccination.”
The every day coronavirus positivity fee in India within the final 12 days has doubled to 16.69 per cent, whereas the weekly positivity fee has elevated to 13.54 per cent up to now one month, the Health Ministry stated on Sunday. India reported a report 2,61,500 new coronavirus circumstances and 1,501 deaths on Sunday, whereas energetic circumstances have surpassed the 18-lakh mark, the ministry information acknowledged.
(With inputs from PTI)