Covid: Vaccine policy flawed, make jabs free for all, says Jairam

New Delhi: Accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of dissembling on the “flawed”

vaccine

policy, Congress on Tuesday said the changes spelt out by him still fall short of the requirement of “free and universal” vaccination policy and urged him to make jabs free for all.



Addressing a press conference, Congress veteran Jairam Ramesh waved the letter written to Modi by former PM Manmohan Singh on April 18 in which he said that the Centre should procure vaccines and distribute to states. Ramesh said Singh had demanded that vaccines be distributed to states “based on specified criteria” to avoid “discrimination among states”.

Ramesh said no state was in favour of the flawed changes made in April and even the parliamentary standing committee on health had sought central procurement, accusing Modi of “distorting facts”.

Pointing out that a joint opposition issued statements on May 2 and 12 demanding free and universal vaccination, he said Modi was forced to course correct on Monday because of the Supreme Court’s strictures as well as the outrage over the Centre’s policy.

However, the Congress functionary said the Centre should also annul the policy of 25% vaccines for private hospitals which would be paid for by beneficiaries. Ramesh claimed that half of the 25% vaccines for private hospitals had been monopolised by nine big hospitals based in big cities.

Ramesh asked the government to spell out how it will meet the target of vaccinating 100 crore Indians by December, pointing out that 16 lakh doses were given daily in May which had come down from 30 lakh doses administered daily in April. “Now, we will have to give 80 lakh doses daily to meet the December deadline,” he said, adding, “Modi believes in headlines, not deadlines. He made a headline, that’s all.”

He demanded that the government convene

Parliament

to seek supplementary grant for vaccination as reports say that it will cost Rs 50,000 crore as against the Rs 35000 crore announced in the budget. “There is money in the country. Rs 20,000 crore is being spent on the Central Vista.”

Demanding complete waiver of CoWin registration, Ramesh said walk-in vaccination and free vaccines should be the norm.

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