By: Surjit Singh Flora
Corona epidemic is raging in India which is becoming more and more deadly. After the first wave of the Corona epidemic began in March-April 2020, the people and governments of India became very infallible. There was a growing perception that the immune system of the people of India was capable of counteracting corona, which led to a very low mortality rate in India during the first wave.
India was also one of the leading countries in the field of corona vaccine development. Covishield, invented by Oxford-AstraZeneca, is being manufactured on a large scale by the Pune-based Indian firm Serum Institute of India, of which more than 60 million doses have been supplied to many other countries and more are to be made. Vaccination is high in India too Under which about 12 crore vaccines have been administered. Even though they are insignificant according to the total population of the country, it is a great achievement to start such vaccinations from January 16, 2021. Covishield, developed by Bharat Biotech Company, is also being introduced to the public and now the Russian-made Sputnik V has also been approved.
There has also been a lot of ingenuity in vaccinating and administering vaccines. According to a report received around April 18, 4.4 million doses of the vaccine were spoiled in two months due to untimely inoculation in India during the vaccination campaign which started on January 16. This is a huge number and a huge omission.
Many Indian political leaders continued to oppose vaccines made in India, which led to a decline in public confidence and a reluctance to vaccinate. It was not right to play politics in the name of vaccines. On the other hand, the Modi government was openly playing diplomacy in the name of vaccines.
Meanwhile, the Kumbh Mela, large election rallies, a variety of other religious gatherings, weddings and large protests have been held in defiance of the Corona rules. The central government, the state governments and the people are all responsible for this omission. No one prepared for any possible corona wave or exercised restraint, which is why the situation is now out of control. The sudden nationwide lockdown imposed by the central government during the first wave had caused great distress to the migrant workers and the poor, which was strongly criticized.
This time the Modi government had left it to the state governments to decide whether to impose lockdown or other stricter rules, which was a good decision, but it does not end the responsibility of the central government. Issuing periodic warnings to states, potential wave resistance medications, hospitals, beds, ventilators, The Center is also responsible for arranging oxygen and other equipment.
There are governments of different parties in different states, and all (including the Center) have failed to cope with this wave of corona. Medical grade oxygen is produced in large quantities in India but is still not reaching hospitals as required. There is black market. It has become difficult to take care of the sick and the dead. There is a need to rise above politics and other divisions.
Lastly, in a pandemic, quick, decisive action is required to protect the population by preventing the spread of this virus and its variants. History will show how both countries India and Canada governments and we failed to take this seriously.
