3P's : Pandemic, People and Pain

 3P's : Pandemic, People and Pain

  Govt caught napping, people lowered their guard too

India, once again has been grappling with an ambush of second wave of COVID-19 pandemic and it is getting more frightening day by day. Exponential surge in cases, shortage of vital medicine, unavailability of oxygen, no oxygenated bed, people dying without getting proper treatment, crematorium full of dead bodies. Catastrophe all around the globe. 

Entire system has been collapsed, public healthcare system is being put on ventilator, migrants once again started to flee like they did last year. Lockdown seems inevitable now. Last year, nation-wide lockdown has been imposed by govt in order to break the chain of contagious virus. But a pertinent question should be asked to highest echelons of power - why we have failed to ramp up healthcare infrastructure in last 1 year despite knowing the risk of second wave? They asked to bang thalis, we did it. Again they asked to lighting diyas, again we did it. Again they asked to flash mobile light, we once again did it. But now its high time to ask question what we have achieved in return by doing such rhetroic drama.

Govt caught napping when disaster struck us

It is crystal clear that govt callous response to COVID-19 leads us to a rapidly ascending catastrophe situation. It is something like we are in a full blown war crisis  against coronavirus. 

Right from early March 2020, the Health Minister dislpayed an arrogant and condescending behaviour where he stated that "Coronavirus is not a heath emergency".

 Again, he did self declaration of chest-thumping win against corona in Jan 2021 at WHO meet.

Not just that, he also endorsed quack drug Coronil on the behest of Central govt. 

Entire sequence of such events tell us the hubristic behaviour of our govt while dealing with pandemic.

Irony is that, on 8th April 2021 he blamed ordinary people for COVID-19 surge.

"It seems like Govt is behaving like Ostrich and put his head in the sand, so no one can ask question to them".

Current Situation :- 

As of now, India registered 2,75,159 positive cases on 18th April, 2021. It is well known fact that new coronavirus wave(double mutant variant) is more virulent than the first and even more deadlier in nature.

The nature of severity of infection is yet to be deciphered but its RO number is greater than 4. (RO number stands for reproduction number, it indicates how contagious an infectious disease is). In the first wave it was just around 1-2.

In simple terms, RO number tells us about the possibility of spreading infectious disease to the other person. In the 1st wave, the doubling rate of COVID-19 was 28 days but this time it takes only 10 days. 

ecmber, 2020(Peak time) that makes people emboldened and started deserting covid appropriate behaviour. 

By the end of last year, public has let down their guard against coronavirus. It is quite understandable that people becomes more complacent and was suffering from fatigue but govt were also caught taking nap. 

They have also failed to anticipate the second wave of covid-19. They were indulged in holding political rallies, gave nod to religious congregation which results into mass gathering thereby social distancing goes for toss up. 

"People have been made AatmNirbhar to save their lives under 'Aatmnirbhar Bharat' scheme".

Government callous reponse

🔹 Vaccine diplomacy : Exports of 65 million doses to 90 countries at an expense of Indian people is a criminal act.

🔹Vaccine shortage : India shifts from vaccine exporter to vaccine importer due to an oversight of govt.

🔹 Infrastructure : Failed to ramp up Public Healthcare Infrastructure in last oneyear.

🔹Strategic failure : Vaccination slowdown due to shortage of dose.

🔹Vaccine hesitancy : Failed to address vaccine hesitancy problem at right time.

Way Forward 

🔸 People have to adopt "Social vaccine" i.e, Mass wearing, Hand hygiene, Maintain physical distance (also known as 3W's)

🔸Get your vaccine at earliest if you are eligible. 

🔸Don't  venture out needlessly. 

🔸Should follow covid appropriate behaviour (set of guidelines issued by state govt).

🔸Govt should issue compulsory license (to authorise pharamceutical companies to use any patent) in such national emergency. 

🔸Firm orders for doses should be publicised for next 6 months to target vaccinate people at large scale(as proposed by Dr. ManMohan Singh ji)

🔸Reduce immunisation age to 25

🔸Govt should provide monetary support to those who live at the bottom of the pyramid.