Letter to our beloved PM

 

Chennai

22nd May 2021

 

Respected Prime Minister,

We were not happy to read the letter addressed to you by retired IAS and other senior officers of the government of India at this crisis hour[VB1] . As concerned citizens we would have appreciated if the letter had been drafted and issued differently. Here’s our take:

As the second wave of Covid 19 ravaged through state after state and the toll is mounting, we submit this appeal to you along with suggestions on the way forward starting with crisis management and Allocation of resources to related matters.

First and foremost is the integrity of data and the availability of accurate granular data for scientists, statisticians and administrators. Detail numbers as they come up throw up interesting Scenarios for able administrators who are competent. Talents across fields are available in plenty in our scientific pool including the administrative Cadre.

Transparent data stream will pave the way for a more proper and clear response.

The current lack of data across segments and the tendency to not recognise the importance for accurate and correct field data has been one of the main reasons in our opinion, for getting surprised repeatedly. We stress here that each one of us believe that you have our best interest at heart.

Our country is at a stage where it can ill afford to be surprised again and again and it is our appeal to you to take the lead and issue specific instructions to all agencies including state government to comply with data transparency.

The next most important action in our opinion, is to understand the vaccination scenario as it is unfolding factoring the supplies expected and present an action plan for orderly rollout. The current chaos and lack of accurate details from a reliable supply chain system is severely hampering the planning and implementation of even those groups who are efficient. Our country can legitimately boast of a huge vaccination network especially in rural areas with adequate vaccination centres and we have had past successes in effectively eliminating through vaccination viral diseases. This was possible by an active participation of the government steered from the centre, social organisations, corporate and local community chiefs. With this experience our suggestions for vaccination roll out are:

i.        It looks like we will have about 11 billion doses globally before December and India can access for sure what it can produce locally with the existing vaccine manufacturers. That is around 40million per month under a conservative estimate. Having vaccinated over 190 million as on date, the task is to find the balance 800 million doses at the earliest.

ii.        With just 360 million doses confirmed by this year end in the pipe line, there is going to be scarcity for some time.  Our suggestion is to scale up availability to the maximum to hit the estimated higher level announced. But that is not confirmed yet. Hence judicious allocation of the current scarce resource is the urgent need.

iii.        Given the vaccine hesitancy and accounting for wastage converting the bulk of this into jabs in the legible arms of the people is the utmost priority. Priority shall be above 45 years old and then below 45 but parents, work force. Efforts must be made to individually trace and vaccinate these persons breaking through hesitancy and logistical challenges. That is the best way to prepare for the third wave around the corner.

iv.        If this is done successfully before December, we would be much closer to achieving heard immunity accounting for substantial infected cases as well. We therefore recommend that this Administration of doses should be done through microlevel planning and rollout. Each of the collectors should get specific instruction and ensure roll out. They should also pick out in the eligible category uninfected and vaccinate as was done in the polio administration 

v.        Web interface at the administration level, user level from individual citizens, have been a challenge given the prevailing lack of computer literacy. We recommend therefore to appoint short-term contract employees sourced with the support of big IT companies and train them for both the admin and as well as support the citizens. They should be posted on a war footing. PSU employees and Railway employees who are already exposed to computer should be instructed suitably.

vi.        PMO shall have a dashboard with real-time updates on the vaccination roll out for each of the 719 districts. We can deploy the same mechanism which we do for monitoring of the counting of votes at booth level for a nation as a whole.

vii.        Respected Prime Minister you have a huge following in our nation and you should constantly come out and advocate for vaccination of all eligible citizens. You should also assure those who have to await for the vaccine suitably. Political costs can be managed by you as you have done previously. You should rope in all the MPs irrespective of political affiliations and emphasise the responsibility of the  elected representatives to support this action.

There are other pressing matters which we would like to bring to your attention. We would so in time. But this is the priority now and the only priority for you as our leader. Others can manage the rest for the time being.


 [VB1]

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