The Indian Medical Association (IMA) on Tuesday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking a limited period continuous lockdown be implemented, especially for all the non-essential areas like cinemas, cultural and religious events and sports.
The suggestion to Prime Minister Modi comes as there has been a resurge in the number of COVID19 positive and death cases in various states of India.
In the letter, IMA national president Dr. JA Jayalal and Dr. Jayesh M Lele, honorary secretary general said all the citizens, above 18 years of age, be vaccinated.
India recorded 96,982 new COVID19 positive cases in the last 24 hours, taking the total tally to 1,26,86,049.
“It is painful to note in spite of the extraordinary efforts of the government under your leadership and the modern medical fraternity altruistic services, pandemic second wave surge is touching record heights,” the letter to PM Modi said.
There are now more than 7.4 lakh active cases in the country, the letter said.
On April 4, 2021, the country recorded the highest number of new Covid cases across the country with more than one lakh new cases, the highest daily increase recorded in the country since the beginning of the pandemic, it said.
Stern implementation and execution of certain pre-emptive efforts will prove the key to contain the fast-spreading pandemic, it said.
“Vaccination against COVID stands as a single evidence-based resource for us to restrict the cases by raising the personal immune response and pave way for herd immunity to decrease the severity of the disease. We have covered total 7.91 crores of population with covid vaccination till date, out of which 6.86 crores have received their first inoculation and 1.05 crores with second dose,” the letter said.
To contain the spread of COVID19 pandemic, the IMA has put forth six suggestions.
It suggested that “all citizens above 18 years of age shall be permitted to receive COVID vaccination”.
Walk in COVID vaccination should be available for all, free of cost at their nearest possible place, the IMA said.
“Private sector family clinics also shall be included actively in the vaccination drive along with private hospitals. Availability of vaccination with all doctors and family physicians will have positive impact on the vaccination drive,” it suggested.
District level vaccine task force team shall be constituted with public, private participation to enforce mass vaccination and monitoring and mitigating the adverse drug events and build confidence.
Vaccination certificate shall be made a mandatory certificate for entering in to public places and receive products under public distribution system.
The IMA said: “As there is acute spurt of this disease as a measure to immediate break the chain, limited period continuous lock down shall be implemented especially for all the non-essential areas like cinema, cultural and religious events, sports, etc.”