Opinion | Keep Covid pandemic away from politics, let’s fight the challenge unitedly
The variety of recent Covid-19 instances reached an all-time excessive on Friday, as India recorded 1,45,384 instances, the highest single-day surge until date, the Health Ministry mentioned on Saturday. The variety of recent Covid-19 instances reached an all-time excessive on Friday, as India recorded 1,45,384 instances, the highest single-day surge until date, the Health Ministry mentioned on Saturday.
India’s monetary capital, Mumbai wore a abandoned look from Friday night reviving reminiscences of March 2020 when a nationwide lockdown was imposed. Maharashtra continues to reel underneath the assault of Covid pandemic, with 58,993 recent instances reported on Friday. Nearly 20,000 Covid instances have been reported in the final a number of weeks until now from Dharavi, Dadar and Mahim localities in Mumbai.
The surge in pandemic continues in the nationwide capital Delhi, the place 8,521 recent instances and 39 deaths have been reported. Among different states, Kerala reported 5,063 new instances, Karnataka 7,955, Rajasthan 3,970, Mumbai 9,200, Tamil Nadu 5,441, Gujarat 4,541, Bihar 2,174, Punjab 3,459, Haryana 2,994, and Madhya Pradesh 4,882 new instances on Friday.
Rajasthan authorities has imposed evening curfew in 9 cities, Ajmer, Alwar, Bhilwara, Chittorgarh, Dungarpur, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Kota and Abu Road from 8 pm to six am until April 30. Two prime public colleges in Lucknow have been sealed on cost of violating Covid-19 protocol. 53 well being staff together with two medical doctors, 38 medical college students and 13 healthcare staff have been discovered Covid constructive in Bhopal AIIMS hospital.
The general scene is alarming. More than 100 medical doctors in three prime hospitals of India, AIIMS Delhi, Sir Gangaram Hospital and KGMU hospital, Lucknow have been examined constructive. There is extreme scarcity of ventilators, ICU beds and oxygen in a number of hospitals of Mumbai and Nagpur. In Madhya Pradesh, tons of of individuals stood in queues to buy Remdesivir vials, which is important for serving to Covid sufferers struggling from lung infections. The drugs has merely vanished from the cabinets of chemist outlets.
Twenty-six well being staff, together with 20 medical doctors and two college members of AIIMS Delhi have been discovered Covid constructive. 17 medical doctors in BHU hospital, Varanasi have additionally been contaminated by the virus. Nearly 40 medical doctors in KGMU hospital, Lucknow are presently in isolation as they’ve been examined constructive. Thirty-seven medical doctors in Delhi’s Sir Gangaram Hospital have additionally been examined constructive.
With so many medical doctors and well being staff falling unwell, the well being care system is sure to be adversely affected. The solely saving grace is that many of those medical doctors have delicate Covid signs, are in isolation and present process therapy. They are being protected due to the Covid vaccines that they’ve taken.
Hospital beds in Nagpur are full, and Covid sufferers are going to Amravati for therapy. Ambulance drivers are fleecing sufferers by charging Rs 10-12,000 per journey for transporting them from Nagpur to Amravati. Almost all the beds in Pune, Mumbai, Nashik hospitals are presently occupied. In some hospitals, Covid sufferers are mendacity on the ground. Hospitals are in dire want of oxygen and ventilators.
There are greater than 90,000 energetic Covid instances in Mumbai alone, with 8-10,000 new sufferers arriving day by day. There are experiences that lots of the asymptomatic sufferers examined constructive are being handled in hospitals, which they don’t want in any respect. These sufferers can get better inside two weeks by staying at dwelling and by present process therapy underneath recommendation from medical doctors over cellphone. This may also help vital sufferers who’re in dire want of ICU beds.
In neighbouring Gujarat, we confirmed in my prime time programme ‘Aaj Ki Baat’, 42 ambulances carrying Covid sufferers have been lined up exterior the Rajkot hospital, ready for admission. In Uttar Pradesh, chief minister Yogi Adityanath is personally overseeing the scenario in Covid centres created in Prayagraj, Varanasi and Lucknow.
Profiteers are fleecing folks by hoarding and promoting Remdesivir injections at exorbitant costs. A vial that usually prices as much as Rs 5,000 is being bought for Rs 1.5 lakhs. There are greater than 28,000 energetic Covid sufferers in Bhopal, the place family of sufferers are working from pillar to put up to purchase Remdesivir injections. The scenario is comparable in Indore too. On Friday, Mumbai police arrested two blackmarketers from Jogeshwari locality with 284 Remdesivir vials price Rs 14 lakhs.
Crematoriums in Ahmednagar and Aurangabad of Maharashtra are dealing with a tricky time for conducting funerals of scores of our bodies of Covid sufferers. Cemeteries have run out of area. At a crematorium in Beed, Maharashtra, eight our bodies have been cremated on a single pyre.
The disaster has been compounded due to scarcity of Covid vaccines in Maharashtra. The main vaccination centre at BKC in Mumbai, and prime non-public hospitals like Nanavati, Breach Candy and Lilawati, have stopped administering doses due to non-availability of vaccines. At the largest vaccination centre GMC Hospital in Nagpur, Covid vaccination has been suspended attributable to lack of vaccines.
It is a truth that there’s scarcity of Covid vaccines in some districts and folks need to return empty handed. There is, nevertheless, no scarcity of vaccines in India as is being alleged from some quarters. All states and union territories are getting their quotas of vaccines, as per tips reached by way of consensus with all states. It could also be that, in some instances, shares of vaccines couldn’t attain the vaccination centre in time, resulting in scarcity. This is a matter that pertains to life and loss of life of individuals, and may, subsequently, be stored away from politics. There has been no ‘step-motherly treatment’ in the direction of any state in the matter of distribution of vaccine shares.
The Maharashtra well being minister had complained that his state bought the similar amount of vaccines that neighbouring Gujarat bought, although his state’s inhabitants was greater than Gujarat’s. But Uttar Pradesh, which has the largest inhabitants, bought the similar variety of vaccines that Maharashtra bought. Congress chief Rahul Gandhi is now demanding provide of extra vaccines. I keep in mind when the vaccination drive was launched, many Congress leaders had questioned the efficacy of the vaccines. They had even challenged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take the vaccine first. Two chief ministers of Congress-ruled states had then refused to take supply of vaccines.
I need to say: Let bygones be bygones. There should be no extra politics on the difficulty of vaccines. Similarly, Maharashtra authorities shouldn’t be blamed for the surge brought on by the second wave of pandemic. The variety of Covid sufferers have elevated, there may be enormous strain and cargo on the well being system, however the state authorities should not be blamed. On the similar stage, the Centre should not be blamed for any disruptions which will have occurred in the supply of vaccine shares.
This is the time for all to affix arms, perceive the issues and sufferings of widespread folks, present them succour, improve testing and tracing, and create consciousness amongst folks about the must take vaccines. And, after all, observe Covid protocols like carrying masks, social distancing and frequent washing of arms.
Aaj Ki Baat: Monday to Friday, 9 PM
India’s Number One and the most adopted Super Prime Time News Show ‘Aaj Ki Baat – Rajat Sharma Ke Saath was launched just before the 2014 General Elections. Since its inception, the show is redefining India’s super-prime time and is numerically far forward of its contemporaries.
