Ex-PM Manmohan Singh Writes To PM Modi on How to Fight COVID-19 Pandemic

New Delhi: Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Sunday wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi suggesting ways to fight the second wave of COVID-19 pandemic in the country.

Singh, in the letter, highlighted a relevant point of vaccination drive by recommending a growth of COVID vaccination programme further as it a big part of the pandemic management.

He wrote, "We must resist the temptation to look at absolute numbers vaccinated and instead focus on the percentage of population vaccinated."

The former PM also suggested that Centre should inform the people about the COVID vaccine orders placed for the next 6 months and how will the vaccines be distributed to the states.

Singh's letter to Modi comes at a time when India is facing one of its worst COVID crisis, hitting record-high numbers almost every day.

"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 in the letter.

The points recommended by Singh in his letter to Modi:

1) The government should publicise what are the orders for doses placed on different vaccine producers and accepted for delivery over the next six months. Singh wrote that if people want to vaccinate a target number in this period, they should place enough orders in advance so that producers can stick to an agreed schedule of supply.

2) The government should specify how this expected supply will be distributed across states based on a transparent formula. The central government could hold 10 per cent for distribution on emergency needs, but other than that, states should have a clear signal of availability so that they can plan their roll out.

3) States should get some variability to define categories of frontline workers who can be vaccinated even if they are below 45 years of age such as states may want to designate school teachers, bus, three-wheeler and taxi drivers, municipal and panchayat staff and lawyers who have to attend Courts as frontline workers. Singh suggested that they can be vaccinated even if they are below 45.

4) Over the past few decades, India has emerged as the largest vaccine producer in the world. At this moment of a public health emergency, the Government of India must actively support vaccine producers to expand their manufacturing facilities quickly by providing funds and other concessions. Additionally, Singh believes that this is the time to request the compulsory licensing provisions in the law so that a number of companies are able to produce the vaccines under a licence. He recalled that this had happened earlier in the case of medicines to deal with the HIV/AIDS disease. As far as COVID-19 is concerned, Singh has read that Israel has already requested the compulsory licensing provision and there is an overwhelming case for India to do so as well quickly.

5) As domestic supplies are limited, any vaccine that has been cleared for use by credible authorities such as the European Medical Agency or the USFDA, should be allowed to be imported without insisting on domestic bridging trials. People are facing an unparalleled emergency and experts are of the view that this relaxation is justified in an emergency. The relaxation could be for a limited period during which the bridging trials could be completed in India. All consumers of such vaccines could be cautioned that these vaccines are being allowed for use based on the approval granted by the relevant authority abroad.

Singh also mentioned that currently, India has vaccinated only a small fraction of its population.

He wrote, "I am certain that with the right policy design, we can do much better and very quickly."

He concluded the letter hoping that the government will accept these suggestions immediately and act on them promptly.