New Delhi: Union Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan on Monday responded to former prime minister Dr Manmohan Singh’s strategies to the federal government with regard to dealing with of the Covid-19 scenario amid the surge in circumstances and alleged the second wave of the pandemic was as an alternative fuelled by the Congress-ruled states as they had been busy elevating doubts about vaccines fairly than vaccinating individuals.
“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,” he mentioned whereas responding to Dr Singh’s letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The Health Minister mentioned “irresponsible public pronouncements” made by some Congress 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”.
“Please do note that it is these very same states that have become the big contributors in the second wave of Covid-19 infection. The test positivity ratio in these states during the second wave is alarming high and they too could benefit from your counsel and wisdom,” he added.
Vardhan acknowledged Dr Singh understands the significance of vaccination as an vital methodology of preventing the COVID-19 battle however identified the “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”.
The Health Minister additional mentioned it’s “shocking that senior members of the Congress party are yet to utter a single word of gratitude towards our scientist community and vaccine manufacturers for innovating under trying circumstances and empowering the world with vaccines”.
He requested the previous prime minister shouldn’t it’s a matter of delight that India is probably the one growing nation to have two vaccines.
“Let alone thanking our scientists, many Congress members and Congress ruled state 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. A sitting chief minister of your party created a dubious world record of sorts by being the only head of government directly inciting people against an indigenously developed vaccine! Some Congress leaders even shamed the vaccines in public but took their doses in private, quietly,” Vardhan mentioned.
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“A word of advice from you to them even if it had been done in private by you may have ensured better cooperation from these people. Knowing your penchant for constructive cooperation, which you have said you always believed in, I would assume that you did advise them and yet, quite clearly, your advice has been in vain,” he added.
The Health Minister additional mentioned the previous prime minister’s recommendation to not get tempted to go by absolute numbers however to go by proportion of inhabitants coated is just not incorrect.
Highlighting the purpose within the letter on permitting import of vaccines which have already been accredited by credible overseas authorities, Vardhan mentioned a choice on this “had already been taken a week ahead of your suggestion on April 11, 2021”.
“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,” Vardhan mentioned.
The Health Minister additionally shared the letter written to Dr Singh on Twitter stating “history shall be kinder to you” in case your provide of constructive cooperation and precious recommendation was adopted by the Congress leaders as properly in such extraordinary instances
“History shall be kinder to you Dr Manmohan Singh ji if your offer of ‘constructive cooperation’ and valuable advice was followed by your @INCIndia leaders as well in such extraordinary times! Here’s my reply to your letter to Hon’ble PM Sh @narendramodi ji 👍 @PMOIndia,” he tweeted tagging the letter written to Dr Singh.
History shall be kinder to you Dr Manmohan Singh ji in case your provide of ‘constructive cooperation’ and precious recommendation was adopted by your @INCIndia leaders as properly in such extraordinary instances !
Here’s my reply to your letter to Hon’ble PM Sh @narendramodi ji 👍 @PMOIndia pic.twitter.com/IJcz3aL2mo
— Dr Harsh Vardhan (@drharshvardhan) April 19, 2021
Dr Singh had on Sunday written to Prime Minister Modi suggesting 5 methods the federal government can defeat the pandemic and mentioned the very first step earlier than implementing them is to just accept the nation is going through an financial disaster.
The Congress veteran in his letter written amid surge in coronavirus circumstances emphasised that the enlargement of Covid vaccination programme is an enormous a part of pandemic administration, including there’s a want to withstand the temptation to take a look at absolute numbers vaccinated and as an alternative give attention to proportion of inhabitants vaccinated.
