New Delhi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi targetted the Centre on Thursday over the novel coronavirus crisis in the country asserting that a fair and inclusive COVID-19 vaccine access strategy should have been in place by now.
Gandhi had earlier demanded that the government clearly define an inclusive and equitable vaccine access policy to ensure its affordability and fair distribution. He said the government's alleged "unpreparedness is alarming".
"A fair and inclusive Covid vaccine access strategy should have been in place by now. But there are still no signs of it," he said in a tweet.
A fair and inclusive Covid vaccine access strategy should have been in place by now.
But there are still no signs of it.
GOI’s unpreparedness is alarming. https://t.co/AUjumgGjGC
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) August 27, 2020
"GOI's (Government of India) unpreparedness is alarming," the former Congress chief said.
Gandhi tagged his August 14 tweet, in which the Congress MP had said that India will be one of the COVID-19 vaccine-producing nations but it needs a clearly-defined, inclusive and equitable vaccine access strategy ensuring availability, affordability and fair distribution.
"India will be one of the COVID-19 vaccine-producing nations. It needs a clearly-defined, inclusive and equitable vaccine access strategy ensuring availability, affordability and fair distribution. GOI must do it now," his earlier tweet read.
Human trials on various COVID vaccines are currently underway across the world, including in India.
The Centre has set up an expert committee to engage with all stakeholders including state governments and vaccine manufacturers and its terms of reference include selecting suitable vaccines, their procurement and delivery and prioritising groups to administer them.
Meanwhile, India`s COVID-19 count crossed 33 lakh-mark with 75,760 fresh cases and 1,023 deaths, in the last 24 hours, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) said on Thursday. The COVID-19 case tally in the country rises to 33,10,235 including 7,25,991 active cases, 25,23,772 cured/discharged/migrated and 60,472 deaths, it added.
