Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday targeted the government over the lack of central data on Covid-19 infection among healthcare workers, including doctors, nurses, and support staff, who are at the frontline of the battle against the pandemic.
“The beating of ‘thali’ and the lighting of a lamp is more important than security and respect” for the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government, the former Congress president wrote on Twitter while sharing a media report.
“Adverse data-free Modi government! The beating of ‘thali’ and the lighting of a lamp is more important than security and respect. Modi Government, why are corona warriors being insulted?” Gandhi asked in a tweet in Hindi.
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His comments came after Union minister of state for health Ashwini Choubey on Tuesday informed the Rajya Sabha that there is no central data available with the health ministry on Covid-19 infection among the healthcare staff, including doctors, nurses, and support staff.
As health is a state subject, no “such data is maintained at central level by the ministry of health,” he told the upper house of Parliament. However, a database regarding the health workers seeking relief under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Insurance Package is being maintained at the national level, he added.
After the United States, India is the second country to have the highest number of cases of the coronavirus disease. On Friday, the country reported 96,424 new cases of Covid-19, pushing the tally to over 5.21 million mark.
Source: HindustanTimes