Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday released a white paper on the Covid-19 pandemic accusing the government of having failed to prevent the second wave and warning that the third wave was impending.
Rahul Gandhi said the government made mistakes during the first and second wave but the white paper was "not [a] finger-pointing" document but an attempt "pointing out mistakes as we know these mistakes need to be corrected in future".
Releasing the Congress party's white paper, Rahul Gandhi said our document has four pillars important to prepare the country for the third wave. It is our intent, Rahul Gandhi said, to provide the government an "insight" into the Covid-19 pandemic.
Gandhi said this is the first pillar in the white paper. He said, "The management of the first wave and the second wave was disastrous."
The previous waves saw "needless deaths", said Rahul Gandhi emphasizing that a number of deaths could have been avoided had the government prepared well for the Covid-19 waves.
He said, "Second wave was predicted. The government's action and behaviour were not what should have been in the given situation."
The Congress leader said the government should prepare for the third wave as "we stand at a similar situation" that was there before the onset of the second wave.
"Virus is mutating and the third wave will come. The government should prepare fully," said Rahul Gandhi adding, "Have the infrastructure ready, increase hospital beds to adequate numbers, ensure oxygen supply and medicines should be made available."
He also emphasized that "central pillar of the fight is vaccination" against Covid-19. He praised the record-vaccination achieved on Monday, when about 85 lakh doses were administered.
He said, "Cross the bridge of 100 per cent vaccination as it is the only protection against the virus."
On the question of the choice of vaccines, Rahul Gandhi said the government should keep its choices open to see which vaccines are effective.
On vaccine misconception among certain groups of people, Rahul Gandhi said, "Vaccination is a must to fight Covid-19."
