Lancet’s Citizens’ panel’s 8 recommendations for Centre, States

New Delhi, May 26: The Lancet Citizens' Panel has made 8 recommendations to the Centre and state governments amidst the rise in COVID-19 cases.

The commission has recommended establishing central systems to procure and distribute the COVID-19 vaccines free of cost instead of the current policy of a decentralised procurement.

"In response to the alarming resurgence of Covid-19 in India, authors drawn from the Commission and its network of fellows have proposed eight urgent recommendations in an article in The Lancet. These recommendations are focused on the immediate steps central and state governments must take to help curtail the loss of life and suffering caused by Covid-19 amid the recent surge in cases," the commission said in a press release.

The commission said that the organising and financing of essential health services be decentralised to districts. It also suggested a national pricing policy and caps on prices of all essential health services and an evidence based information on the management of COVID-19.

It also suggested that all available Human Resources, including the private sector must be marshalled COVID-19 response.

"The humanitarian crisis the resurgence has precipitated requires all persons in central and state governments to set aside their political differences and work in solidarity with each other, and with civil society, to implement the eight clearly articulated recommendations in our article," commission member Vikram Patel said.

The commission also suggested that due to the profound suffering and risk to health caused by loss of livelihoods, should be minimised by making provisions for cash transfers by the state to workers in India's vast informal economy who have lost their jobs and are requiring businesses not to lay off their workers.