Corona crisis
It is for the second day running that India witnessed more than three lakh positive cases across the length and breadth of the country. The death toll for the day too has been at a record high of 2,263 which has worsened the situation.
Going by the official figures the country has crossed 1,62,63,695 case mark while active cases crossed the 24-lakh mark yet again. The death toll increased to 1,86,920 with a record 2,263 new fatalities.
The fresh cases have been registering a steady increase and the active cases increased to 24,28,616 comprising 14.93 per cent of the total infections, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate has further dropped to 83.92 per cent.
Notably, India’s COVID-19 tally had crossed the 20-lakh mark on August 7, 30 lakh on August 23, 40 lakh on September 5 and 50 lakh on September 16.It went past 60 lakh on September 28, 70 lakh on October 11, crossed 80 lakh on October 29, 90 lakh on November 20 and surpassed the one-crore mark on December 19.India crossed the grim milestone of 1.50 crore on April 19.
Though the first wave registered a steady rise despite a strict lockdown put in place but the second wave that has hit the country is making life miserable as people are scrambling to even get a bed in a hospital. Even when one gets lucky enough to manage a space in any of the designated government or private covid hospital, the run for getting oxygen supply for the patients proves nightmarish.
On Friday twenty-five COVID-19 patients died at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital in Delhi and the lives of another 60 such patients is at risk amid a serious oxygen crisis unfolding in the national capital. Things seem to be no different in Maharashtra, Gujrat, UP, Madhya Pradesh and elsewhere.
Since some states and UT’s are not witnessing huge rise in the positive cases the situation somehow seems to be under control in those areas but the situation that is emerging in major cities has meant ringing of the alarm bells for the common man.
Right now the government machinery has crumbled at most of the places where covid cases and serious infections have witnessed a steep hike. Not only are figures on deaths and even on the fresh infections being manipulated but the real picture is also not being shown to the people.
This has come to fore at a time when the leadership has shown least concern for the common man as the past year when the pandemic broke out was wasted on ensuring strict curfews and disallowing people’s free movement and no concern was shown to speed up capacity of providing the essentials required to fight a possible second wave.
The government got too complacent so did the people and the result is for all of us to see. Right now the crisis is staring at us and only meticulous planning alongwith cent percent dedication at the governmental level can help to restore some confidence among the people.
