Political
Diary
New
Delhi, 27 April 2021
India
Choked
IT’S ONLY LIFE, STUPID!
By Poonam I
Kaushish
“What's the use of a hospital bed now? He is already dead.
All are dead. The Administration is hopeless, useless," angry shouts of
parents and relatives which pierce the country’s comatose dark skies. Over 140
choked to death due to lack of oxygen in various Delhi, UP and Haryana
hospitals as they ‘begged” the Administration and corporates to expedite
replenishments of the elixir of life even as crematoriums ran out of space.
Bringing India once again face to face with the bitter truth: The aam aadmi translates into merely a
sterile statistic!
With 3,52,991 people testing positive for Covid 19 Monday
India's total tally has climbed to 1,73,13,163 with a record 2,812 new
fatalities. While active cases crossed the 28-lakh mark (16.25%), death toll
increased to 1,95,123 (1.3%) with the recovery rate dropping to 82.62 %. Worse,
active infections might touch 38-48 lakhs mid-May warn scientists as the coming
four weeks are critical.
Kudos to the Madras High Court which came down hard on the
Election Commission calling it the “the most irresponsible institution” for its
role in the resurgence of the virus’s second wave pan India. Adding stingingly,
EC officials might be “booked under murder charges too” for allowing Parties to
hold mammoth rallies and processions. It was hearing a PIL to ensure fair
counting of votes in Karur. The Court threatened
to stop vote counting 2 May if a “blueprint” of effective steps with Covid-19
protocols was not in place properly.
Questionably, are
elections the be all and end all for our leaders? Is human life of no
importance to them? Couldn’t the EC have curtailed the political
dose, mammoth rallies, processions and holding of road-shows in five States to
500-odd with strict enforcement of pandemic norms or netas told to have smaller ‘virtual’ rallies or clubbing these
together as was done in the last two phases of the West Bengal polls?
Undoubtedly, the onus
is on the EC. It was its paramount duty to carefully plan the poll phases, ensure
that authorities maintained strict discipline, remained focused on controlling
the contagion spread by insisting on physical distancing and wearing masks
besides their usual duties of maintaining law and order. The en masse
abdication of Covid protocol by both leaders and janata is borne out by TV and social media footages, an automatic
recipe for disaster.
Given that these
States showed five-times faster spike of Covid 19 cases than Delhi and nearly
10-times faster than Maharashtra. For instance Bengal had 8,419 or 1,040%
higher cases on 18 April 18 than 1174 on 1 April, while Delhi and Maharashtra
which are notorious hotspots showed a much slower pace of increase 209% and 118% respectively.
Adding grist the Kumb
mela was attended by over 30 lakh people
and within a week it sent the number of cases in Rishikesh and Haridwar soaring.
It was after the death of two renowned seers of major sects that Modi appealed
to make attendance “symbolic”. A belated confession, of knowing large and
congested gatherings, even if held in the open, lead to a titanic rise.
More horrifying is
how our netagan continue to glibly bandy remorse, India is “shaken” by the contagion
tsunami said Prime Minister Modi with Union Ministers, Chief Ministers reeling
out figures of ‘action taken.’ Really? You could have fooled me. While the
Opposition parrots its tirade of ‘Government plagued by anti-people policies
and is trying to save image.’ All, getting their knickers in knots.
Importantly, given
our leaders penchant for short-cuts and quick-fix solutions, what else can one
expect, but this ghisa-pitta
reaction? They are no wiser nor have learnt any lesson from the first wave.
Instead of being prepared for the second, all were triumphantly asserting they
had ‘defeated’ the pandemic and Modi was a “vaccine guru”.
Worse, none seems to have learnt or is willing to learn the
ABC of health and crisis management or finding lasting solutions. In four
States, Delhi, Maharashtra, UP and Chhattisgarh alone there is a acute shortage
of nearly 50,000 isolation beds with oxygen, over 10,000 ICU beds and 6000 ventilators
and counting. Karnataka . Critical
medicines are selling at astronomical prices.
Who will bear
responsibility? Be accountable? Does anyone really care? A big No.
Two cases in point.
Take Delhi Chief Minister Kejriwal. On 5 January the Centre gave AAP Government
Rs 201.58 crores for installation of 8 dedicated Pressure Swing Absorption
(PSU) Medical Oxygen Generation Plants inside public health facilities.
Abominably, on 23 April, Delhi had installed only one oxygen plant sanctioned
under the PM Cares Fund. Besides, wouldn’t the Rs 171 crores Kejriwal spent on
advertising his Sarkar’s achievements
been better utilized on people’s welfare.
Further, in beginning
April Kejriwal tweeted that Delhi had adequate oxygen, medicines and there was
no shortage. Only, to tweet the obverse a fortnight later, blaming the Centre
despite being allotted over 480 tonnes of oxygen. Only to be reprimanded by the
Court, “you expect everything should land at your doorsteps….you have to contact
suppliers.”
Two, on 1 April last
year a Central Empowered Group of Officers set-up for effective Covid response red-flagged oxygen shortage when
there were only 2000 cases and asked the CII with Indian Gas Association to
mitigate supplies soonest. A week later the Directorate General of Health
Services wrote to all State and UT drug controllers to grant licenses to
manufacturers of industrial oxygen to produce medical oxygen at the earliest.
Again in October
Parliament’s Standing Committee on Health asked the Government to ensure
adequate oxygen production for hospitals as well as its availability and
affordability. Of the 7000 metric tons produced as only 1000 metric tons was
being used for medical purposes, the Committee wanted a strong oxygen inventory
in place. Alas, all these were trashed as it was only last week the Centre prohibited
supply of oxygen to industries.
Furthermore, the vaccination
drive commenced too late in January third week with no outcome goal of
vaccination defined. So far only 0.7% have received both doses and only about
5% one dose, too low to have an impact. Neither was any advance purchase orders
given to vaccine companies to get production accelerated. Add to it “poor
communication” to those vaccinated on how they must continue with precautions
like masks and social distancing.
Undeniably, given the
tremendous nationwide shortage of hospital beds, oxygen, vaccines and drugs,
the onus lies on the Government. True, people lowered their guard and didn’t
follow Covid protocols, yet why did the Centre and States open up everything including
schools and colleges without vaccinating people despite warning from scientists
and virologists? Specially as Europe was witnessing an acute second wave.
Ministerial
and bureaucratic huddles and directives from the Centre to States will not do.
People are sick of hearing the same old refrain: “The speed of spread in the
second wave is twice as fast as in the first wave. Don’t panic…The Government
is doing everything that is necessary…things are under control….we have enough
oxygen. Transportation is a challenge.” Sic.
Remember, all crises
are surmountable. What is insurmountable is damned negligence and casualness.
That is the tragedy of our nation. The time is for gone for the Government to
play the pied piper with a ki pharak
painda hai attitude. Will the future generation be weighed down by our
moribund, careless and politricking leaders’ albatross round its neck? Who
aver: Let them choke, its only life,
stupid! ---- INFA
(Copyright, India
News & Feature Alliance)
|