Slamming the Centre’s decision to control the purchase and distribution of Remdesivir vials, MNS chief Raj Thackeray on Thursday told Prime Minister Narendra Modi in no uncertain terms that “the situation is grim and terrifying”, “our health system has collapsed”, “this is not the time to indulge in petty politics” and “we must come together and face the situation collectively”.
In a letter written to the Prime Minister on the issue of allowing the states to purchase and distribute Remedesivir and other essential drugs and materials required for Covid-19, Raj said: "I fail to understand why the Central Government has decided to control the purchase and distribution of Remdesivir. It is the state government's machinery - its health department, local institutions such as municipal corporations and staff at all levels that are at the forefront of this crisis".
“They (the state government machinery) are working with utmost dedication and facing daily challenges of ensuring right treatment to the patients. Why, then, should the central government control the purchase and distribution of Remdesivir?,” the MNS chief asked. Maintaining that it was "heartbreaking" to see the spurt in the death rate while the images of queues of dead bodies awaiting their turn in Gujarat and other states were "very disturbing", the MNS chief said: "The situation is very grim and terrifying. This is not the time to indulge in petty politics. We must come together and face the situation collectively”.
“We have not witnessed a health emergency of this magnitude in the history of our country in the last 10-0 years. The challenge we face is a bigger one,” the MNS chief said in his letter without mincing words.
“Our health system has collapsed. The speed of testing has slowed, hospitals do not have sufficient beds, essential medicines such as Remdesivir are not available and the life saving supply of Oxygen is disrupted,” he said.
“Though much larger population is now eligible for vaccination, it is uncertain whether we can ensure availability of vaccines in sufficient numbers to provide for the vaccination of all those eligible. We need to organise the management of this pandemic very carefully,” Raj said.
“Amidst this, I was shocked to learn that the Central government plans to control the purchase and distribution of Remdesivir, a key drug in the treatment of Covid-19,” the MNS chief said.
Reminding the Prime Minister that in the ongoing war against Coronavirus the Centre had a key role to play – that of “an assistance provider, coordinator and a mentor”, the MNS chief said that the “control and leadership rests with the state government’s machinery.
“In such times, the Central government should not control the purchasing and distribution of drugs like Remdesivir. Such control will only indicate a mistrust of the state government’s machinery, and disrespect for their assessment and knowledge of the location situation,” he said.
“The war against the virus is a mammoth one. We all need to put our differences aside and come together as one. The fight against corona needs to be fought in a coordinated manner and in co-operation. This can be done only if we allow the states to use their administration as well as wisdom and understanding of their situation more effectively. This is indeed what the federal spirit of our Constitution also directs us to do,” Raj concluded, as he rooted for the Centre according more administrative freedom to the state governments.