How not to fight a pandemic

Despite the steps taken or not taken by the Narendra Modi dispensation, there are no signs of India overcoming the Covid 19 crisis anytime in the near future. The number of cases in the country has crossed thirty lakh and deaths on account of the deadly virus are fast approaching the sixty thousand mark.In fact, if things do not take a turn for the better, India may soon be number two in the world in terms of Covid positive cases.

It would be no consolation that many other countries have also failed in tackling the Covid crisis effectively. What is galling is that India has singularly failed to learn from the experience of other countries in tackling the situation.
The example which comes to mind immediately is that of China. The virus originated there, and even before other countries started taking the threat of the pandemic seriously, the death toll in China had crossed three thousand.

But what is remarkable is the systematic manner in which China fought the Covid spread. The available medical services and resources were swiftly mobilised to keep the virus confined to Wuhan and Hubei province, where it had originated.China’s spectacular success in tackling Covid 19 is clear from the fact that the total number of positive cases is less than 85,000. The number of deaths is put at less than five thousand.

There are other countries also, which mobilised their resources optimally to check the spread of the pandemic.New Zealand, Taiwan and nearer home, Sri Lanka are the names of countries, which come to mind immediately in this context.Contrast it with what happened in India. Action to check the Covid spread was delayed because of US president Trump’s visit and also the political developments in Madhya Pradesh. The imperative of toppling an opposition state government appears to have been higher on the ruling dispensation‘a priority list.

And when actual action came to check the Covid-19 spread, there was very little attention paid to its likely impact on the common man. The lockdown resulted in disrupting the economy. Its impact on the people was not provided for, with the result that millions of people had to migrate back to their home states in an unplanned manner.The Narendra Modi dispensation has now started the phase of reopening or unlocking. But this also appears to be going on in an unprofessional manner. The result is that the number of Covid positive cases is going up steadily.

What is needed is for the government to hold widespread consultations with different groups to formulate an effective strategy to tackle the crisis. Covid 19 is perhaps the biggest problem faced by humanity in generations. There should be no hesitation in getting the advice and views of all groups including the opposition to deal with the pandemic.

(Political Analyst)