New Delhi, Sep 16 (UNI) Attacking the Government on the handling of the Covid pandemic in the country, the Congress on Wednesday said that the Centre should have coordinated with the states before announcing the lockdown.
Initiating a discussion on the COVID-19 pandemic and clarification on Health Minister's statement on the situation in the Upper House on Wednesday, Mr Anand Sharma of the Congress also sought to counter the statement by the Health Minister on Tuesday that the deaths per million of 55 was among the lowest in the world.
‘’Health Minister told the House on September 15 that the deaths per million of 55 was among the lowest in the world. Sri Lanka and South Africa have had lower deaths per million,’’Sharma said.
Mr Sharma also said that the Health Minister said that the number of Covid cases in the country are 45 lakh but in reality the figure has reached lakh when he made the statement in Parliament.
"Health Minister said the lockdown decision prevented 14-29 lakh cases, this is a very wide gap. What is the scientific basis for this," asked Mr. Sharma.
He expressed concern over the discrimination faced by medical professionals in the aftermath of the spread of the pandemic.
Criticising the lack of coordination by the Centre with the states before announcing the lockdown, Mr Sharma said had this been done, the migrant workers would not have gone through the pain they experienced.
'We can't deny the image of India that was seen abroad of migrant workers in distress.. If quarantine centres were set up in advance, the disease may not have reached villages,’’he said.
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