MyVoice: Views of our readers 23rd April 2021

Tragic incident

The sad and unfortunate death of twenty four Covid-19 patients who died at Zakir Hussain Municipal Hospital at Nashik in Maharashtra due to disruption in oxygen supply to them for over thirty minutes owing to leak in tanker outside the hospital is an indicator in the lacunae in vital life support systems in the hospitals in the country. It is observed that the second wave of the pandemic in the country is requiring hospitalisation of more patients who are in need of ventilators or oxygen masks. The death rate too has grown more steeply compared to last year, when patients were not in dire need to use oxygen. The new situation has brought about an unmanageable demand for oxygen cylinders, and tankers carrying liquid oxygen to cater to various hospitals in the country. Such a situation was not imagined before. The state governments in the country must become more independent and self-reliant in procuring oxygen cylinders for the patients who are in need for it, without unduly becoming dependent on the Centre. There is however a limit to what the Centre can do under the prevailing circumstances as the country is in need for more cryogenic tankers to supply liquid oxygen reach and cater to the entire country. The preventive measures that the already suggested and recommended are only 'mantra' against Covid-19, by way of wearing a mask and maintaining a reasonable social distance coupled with other personal hygienic measures, about which the countrymen must always be alert and observant.

S Lakshmi, Hyderabad

Unwanted vaccine politics

It is highly condemnable that the GOI has chosen to play vaccine politics with the lives of the people in the states. The policy of differential Covishield vaccine price of Rs.400 for states and Rs.150 for centre,( Congress slams centre over Covishield policy, THI, 22 April) reminds us , the character of " Shylock "in the Merchant of Venice by Shakespeare. It is unfair and unprecedented. Being a responsible government, how can it be a lower price for Centre and higher price for States? Certainly it is anti- people and in these perilous pandemic times , we the people demand , the GOI to supply the Covid-19 vaccine free of cost to the people.

P H Hema Sagar, Secunderabad

II

NDA, Government at Centre could control the first wave of Covid-19 exceedingly well, at the same time NDA failed miserably to exercise adequate control on the second wave of Covid-19. NDA is more immersed in electioneering and getting power in various States. It did not develop adequate infrastructure to deal with the second wave of Covid-19. At least now, they should prepare themselves well and bring out the control measures to prevent the spread of Covid-19 and save people's lives.

Sambasiva Rao Choda, Hyderabad

III

There have been many heart wrenching scenes all over the nations as people try to get hospital beds, oxygen or medicines for their loved ones. Surely the government should have expected a second wave, as many other nations had already reported it. There was a great deal of complacency on the part of the citizens and the government who believed that the worst was over. However, the second wave has been more damaging than the first and is likely to touch the three lakh daily infections soon. Even as the governments are grappling with the situation, conditions have worsened and people are suffering with no end in sight. Even with all this the Prime Minister and the Home Minister have not ended their rallies in Bengal. Winning the state has become more important than the lives of the citizens.

Anthony Henriques, Mumbai