India is reporting lakhs of covid-19 cases every day and becomes the second most affected country after the United States. India recorded million of new infections in just the last 11 days and India’s healthcare is not able to control this surge.
India’s public healthcare system is one of the most underfund healthcare in the world. Right now, in most of the states of India, it is really difficult for getting a bed in a hospital or oxygen cylinder for covid patients. Today, Delhi leaves Mumbai behind and becomes the worst-hit covid-19 city in India.
Delhi recorded 17,282 fresh covid cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday. There is so much chaos in Delhi, along with many known cities. The state government instructed almost 30+ private hospitals to reserve 80% of their ICU beds for covid-19 patients after seeing the spike in cases. Hospitals are running at full capacity and beds are filling up fast.
India’s healthcare system
India’s low investment in the health sector is now making it vulnerable to covid-19. In budget 2021, India increases health expenditure from 1.2% to only 2.5% of GDP. According to the Global Health Security Index in 2019, which measures pandemic preparedness for countries based on their ability to handle the crisis, India ranked at 57. Even neighbouring countries like Pakistan and Bangladesh are spending over 3% of their GDP on the health sector.
India is facing a severe shortage of medical equipment as well as healthcare workers. According to the experts, the current situation shows poor planning and mismatch on the government’s part. India cannot afford a second lockdown. People are already unemployed and facing huge loss because of the previous lockdown. It’s been more than a year and Government did not make proper or sufficient arrangements for the covid situation.
From the data taken by the local government’s hospital occupancy app, there are no ICU beds with ventilators available to coronavirus patients. This is the scenario of the top 8 private hospitals in the capital. The number of these covid patients was going down at the starting of the year, but it’s rising again. Now, the situation is becoming worst day by day. This spike in cases will strain the entire public health system.
Scroll the Twitter feed and you will see how people are requesting beds, oxygen for their family. The situation is grim! So, wear a mask, take precautions and go outside only if it’s urgent otherwise stay at home. Do not expect any help from the government.
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