Modi govt ignored recommendations given by PAC on Health & Welfare for mass vaccination: Congress

As the Coronavirus pandemic continues to ravage the country – killing thousands every day and affecting millions, it has come to the fore that the Modi government completely ignored important recommendations put forth by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Health & Family Welfare over the Coronavirus pandemic.

Had the Modi government acted on the suggestions given by the PAC on Health and Family welfare and prepared for the impending crisis, the situation could have been better, said Congress on Friday.

Sharing recommendations of the PAC on Health and Family welfare, Congress spokesperson Shaktisinh Gohil came down heavily on PM Modi for being busy in image building instead of saving people’s life.

It is worth noting here that the Committee comprising Union Health Minister Dr Harshvardhan had suggested Modi government to -

• Chalk out a plan for the availability of the vaccine.

• Plan to increase the capacity of vaccine production.

• To make vaccines available easily and at an affordable price to all.

• To check black marketing of vaccines and start a mass vaccination programme so that the entire population can be inoculated.

The report was submitted before the chairman of the Rajya Sabha on October 21, 2020 and was forwarded to the Speaker Lok Sabha four days after on October 25, 2020.

“In spite of this, our country, which is the largest manufacturer of the vaccines, is lagging behind in vaccination. We will have to vaccinate above 60 per cent of the population at least in order to win this battle against the Coronavirus pandemic,” said Gohil.

Urging the Modi government to waive off GST on ambulance services and oxygen cylinders, Gohil added, “Doing businesses at the cost of people’s life is not India’s tradition."

Asking the Modi government to not buckle under the pressure exerted by the WTO, the Congress leader suggested that the Modi govt should demand for the pending proposal for waiver of patent so that mass production of the Coronavirus vaccines can be started in our country by Indian Companies.