PM focused on Bengal, not oxygen, says Rahul Gandhi while releasing Congress' white paper on COVID-19 management

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi appreciated the record vaccination of 86.16 lakh people on June 21. (Image: Shutterstock)

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, on June 22, released a white paper on Centre's management of COVID-19 saying the purpose of the document is to help the nation to prepare for the potential third wave of the disease.

Gandhi, while asserting that the intention of the paper was not to point fingers at the government, said that 90 percent of deaths could have been prevented if there was no lack of oxygen.

The Congress leader said that the Centre must set up a COVID-19 compensation fund for the victims.

"Compensation is not a free gift. Centre has earned Rs 4 lakh crore as taxes from people. There should be a COVID-19 compensation fund,” Gandhi said a day after he  hit out at the government for not paying ex-gratia compensation to families of those who died of COVID-19.

READ: Government fighting for blue tick, be self-reliant for vaccine: Rahul Gandhi

The Centre told the Supreme Court that the ex-gratia compensation of Rs 4 lakh could not be paid to the families of those who had died of COVID-19 as the finances of state governments and the Centre were under severe strain.

Gandhi said that the central pillar of the white paper is vaccination. The second pillar, he said, was to ensure the government has adequate numbers of hospital beds and medical resources, including oxygen, medicines and life-saving equipment like ventilators

Gandhi alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi did not take the pandemic seriously and was instead focused on the West Bengal election.

"90 per cent of people who have died could have been saved. The biggest reason for this was the lack of oxygen at the time. While there is no shortage of oxygen in the country. PM's tears did not save the lives of people but oxygen could have," the Congress leader said.

Gandhi said that it was clear that management of the first and second wave of COVID-19 had been disastrous.

"We have tried to point out the reasons behind it. I would even go so far as to say that there might be waves even after the third wave of COVID-19 as the virus is mutating," he said.

The Congress leader appreciated the record vaccination of 86.16 lakh people on June 21.

"Yes, good work has happened yesterday but this is not a series of events. But government has to make this process work not just for one day but everyday until we have vaccinated our whole population," he said.

Here are the key recommendations for the Centre in the White Paper

> Ensure that all Indians receive free and universal vaccination in the shortest possible time frame.

> Collaborate with vaccine manufacturers, raw material suppliers, and foreign  governments to ensure a steady supply of raw materials and vaccines for India.

> Invoke compulsory license provisions under the Patents Act 1970 to ramp up domestic vaccine production.

> Allocate vaccines to states based on a transparent, justifiable formula, centered on evidence, equity and particular local requirements.

> Make accurate vaccine-related and COVID-19-related data publicly available in  a transparent manner.

> Implement political and administrative measures including a national level, all-party committee to review measures to contain the pandemic, to improve  coordination with state governments, and to collaborate with civil society.

> Decentralise decision-making, management of critical resources and transfer  funds to the district level to organise essential health services, from primary to tertiary care, and address regional imbalances.

> Prepare for possible third and future waves by heeding expert advice, scaling  up testing significantly (especially in rural areas) and pooling human resources  at the state and district levels.

> Provide ex-gratia relief of at least Rs. 4 lakh for all COVID-19 related deaths  under the Disaster Management Act, 2005.

> Implement relief measures including a minimum income support scheme for  the poor and most vulnerable, continue free food supplies to the poor, reduce  excise taxes on petrol and diesel, grant wage subsidies to MSMEs, increase  budgetary support to the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme and provide relief for the urban poor.