Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh wrote a letter to PM Narendra Modi offering suggestions to combat the second wave of coronavirus that has gripped the country.
Singh in his letter devised five ways that could be implemented to arrest the rise of surging infections across India, stating that expansion of covid-19 vaccination programs is a big part of pandemic management.
He added that Centre's strategy must focus on the percentage of the population that has been inoculated instead of looking at absolute numbers.
While over 12 crore people in India have been vaccinated as on April 18, in percentage terms it is below 9%, a far cry from 24% in the US, 56% in Israel or 28% in Chile. In the letter, Singh urged the Centre to data on doses ordered for the next six months and their scheme of distribution to help states appropriately plan.
Singh appealed for greater leeway for states in defining frontline workers, who can be vaccinated even if they are below 45 years of age.
Singh called for increased production of doses and requested the government to allocate requisite funds, concessions, and licenses to vaccine producers to facilitate that.
Concluding his five-point letter, the former PM also said that vaccines that receive approval from competent authorities abroad, should get immediate approval and authorization for use in India and be imported in large numbers in light of an "unprecedented" health crisis.
India, on Sunday, reported its biggest surge in coronavirus infections with a whopping 2.6 lakh new cases and 1,501 deaths, while active cases have surpassed the 18-lakh mark, the ministry data stated.
Ten states -- Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Kerala, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu and Rajasthan -- reported 78.56 per cent of the new infections, it said.
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(With inputs from agencies)