9pm 9 minutes: Congress asks 9 questions over government's preparedness to combat coronavirus

The congress party has raised 9 questions over the government's preparedness to combat coronavirus pandemic. The party also raised the issue of the lack of Personal Protection Equipments (PPEs) for the paramedical staff.

New Delhi: On eleventh day into a total lockdown, when India will turn off lights for 9 minutes at 9pm, following the appeal of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress raised 9 questions over the Government's preparation to fight against Coronavirus pandemic.

"Today, the entire country will light up their lamps and candles at 9pm on the appeal of our PM, including our party members. But Congress party wants to raise 9 questions from the Center which are not in a sense to criticise our Government but to give benefit to our citizens," said Sushmita Dev, Congress spokesperson.

As Congress party is continuously raising the issue of the lack of Personal Protection Equipments (PPEs) for the para medical staff. Congress asserted that currently our country is having a total number of 3.34 lakhs PPEs but there is a need of 62 lakhs PPEs in India.

Sushmita Dev, during the press briefing, said: "In the war against Coronavirus, these doctors, nurses and para medical staff are at the forefront. Reports are coming from the entire nation that there is a lack of PPE kits. We feel bad to see doctors wearing raincoats and helmets while treating their patients, almost 50 para medical staff has got affected by COVID-19. We want to ask when will the Govt supply adequate number of PPEs to the healthcare workers?"

"WHO had announced about the upcoming shortage of PPE kits all across the world, on Feb 27. But Indian manufacturers who approached the Government, didn't get any reply till March 21. Why did the Center took this decision 5 weeks late?," she added.

While mentioning about the need of ventilators in hospitals, Congress spokesperson questioned the Government about the steps taken by them to meet the requirement and the number of expertised technicians to operate these ventilators.

Congress party is rigorously appealing to the Government for increasing the number of tests conducting in the country.

Party's former President Rahul Gandhi also asserted on the need of testing, in his tweet, on Saturday he said: "India is simply not testing enough to fight COVID-19 virus. Making people clap and shining torches in the sky isn't going to solve the problem."

Congress also demanded that the tests for COVID-19 should be made free of cost for every citizen to cure people from this disease. Along with that, the party appealed to the Government to announce compensation for the families of those people who have lost their lives due to COVID-19.

On PM's call for all party meeting

As Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called for an All-Party meet, on April 8, for which the Congress was appealing from a very long time, the party felt that the decision has been taken very late. Sushmita Dev said: "Why PM has called the opposition leaders almost at the end of lockdown period? We feel that if PM could have taken this decision much earlier then the entire country would have been saved from the consequences of an ill-managed lockdown."