Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Sunday wrote to PM Narendra Modi suggesting several ways to fight the Covid-19 pandemic in the country. Singh highlighted the need for augmenting vaccination drive and clarity on how the supply of vaccine will be distributed across States based on a transparent formula. “We must resist the temptation to look at absolute numbers vaccinated and instead focus on the percentage of population vaccinated,” Singh wrote.
The former PM said the States should be given some flexibility to define categories of frontline workers who can be vaccinated even if they are below 45 years of age. For example, States may want to designate school teachers, bus, three-wheeler and taxi drivers, municipal and panchayat staff possibly as frontline workers. They can then be vaccinated even if they are below 45, Singh wrote to Modi.
“There are many things we must do to fight the epidemic but a big part of this effort must be ramping up the vaccination programme. I have some suggestions in this regard. In making them I want to emphasise that I am putting them forward for your kind consideration in a spirit of constructive cooperation in which I have always believed and acted upon,” Singh wrote.
The former PM said the Government should indicate how the expected supply of the vaccine will be distributed across States based on a transparent formula. The Central Government could retain 10 per cent for distribution based on emergency needs, but other than that, States should have a clear signal of likely availability so that they can plan their rollout, Singh suggested.
The former PM also said the States should be given some flexibility to define categories of frontline workers who can be vaccinated even if they are below 45 years of age. For example, States may want to designate school teachers, bus, three-wheeler and taxi drivers, municipal and panchayat staff possibly as frontline workers. They can then be vaccinated even if they are below 45, Singh wrote to Modi.
“In addition, I believe this is the time to invoke the compulsory licensing provisions in the law, so that a number of companies are able to produce the vaccines under a licence. This, I recall, had happened earlier in the case of medicines to deal with the HIV/AIDS disease. As far as Covid-19 is concerned, I have read that Israel has already invoked the compulsory licensing provision and there is an overwhelming case for India to do so as well quickly,” the former PM said.
Stressing on several points, the former PM finally mentioned that currently, India has vaccinated only a small fraction of its population. “I am certain that with the right policy design, we can do much better and very quickly.”
Singh concluded the letter hoping that the Government will “accept these suggestions immediately and act on them promptly.”