'Time to wake up': Sonia Gandhi's video message to govts on Covid crisis

Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Saturday asked the central government to evolve a political consensus on a nationwide action plan to tackle the coronavirus crisis, which she said, has shattered humanity due to shortage of beds, oxygen and life-saving medicines.

Sonia Gandhi

"This is the time for central and state governments to wake up and fulfil their duties," she said in a five-minute video message that stressed the need for compassion and empathy.

Flagging the shortage of crucial resources, which have made the battle against the pandemic a lot more difficult, she said: "Lakhs of people are getting affected amid the pandemic everyday, lakhs have died so far. These are testing times and we have to support each other. Most states continue to grapple with shortage of medical oxygen, hospital beds and medicines."

She also reiterated the nine demands of the Congress including free vaccination for all, transferring ₹6,000 to the accounts of migrant workers and nudging the government to opt for compulsory licensing of Covid vaccines that would enable other manufacturers to start producing the vaccines too.

"I urge the central government to evolve a national policy to deal with the Covid crisis in the country and bring about a political consensus over it," the Congress president said.

"Our country is facing the pandemic and lakhs of our citizens have been affected by coronavirus everyday. This crisis is the testing time for all of us and we have to hold each other's hands, support each other and be their strength.

She also sought an increase in testing and keeping the black marketing of essential life-saving drugs like Remdesivir in check and putting a stop to it. The Congress leader batted for uniform prices of Covid vaccines across all states and immediate conversion of industrial oxygen to medical oxygen to fight the acute shortage of oxygen in various states.

Gandhi also promised that the Congress will help and support the central government in whatever way it can in its fight against this crisis.

The Congress president's video message came on the day the country reported 4,01, 993 new Covid cases, a new global record. 3,523 deaths were reported. The third phase of the world's largest vaccination drive has started on Saturday even as 20 states flag vaccine shortage.

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