INDIA, COVID-19 AND WE…
We, the Indians, are accustomed to criticising our country. There are lots of things to improve and we need to contribute our bit continuously to make things happen.
However, in the backdrop of outbreak of Corona Virus across the world, have a look at what India has been able to achieve till date (12th March, 2020)…
Despite sharing a border of 3,488 kilometres with China, India has only reported 78 cases and 1 death till 12th March, 2020 – compare that with 596 cases and 8 deaths in the UK.
India is the only country in the world to evacuate its citizens 6 times (and counting) and evacuated the most number of foreign nationals.
The Indian Air Force evacuated a total of 723 Indians, 37 foreign nationals from Wuhan. India evacuated 119 Indians and 5 foreign nationals from Japan. IAF also evacuated 58 Indian pilgrims from Iran on the 10th of March. Total: 900 Indians and 48 foreign nationals.
India is leading the fight against COVID-19 in the South Asian region, offering diplomatic, humanitarian and medical assistance to its neighbours.
A total of 56 Virus Research Diagnostic Laboratories (VRDLs) have been set up till 12th March in India to test its citizens as well as foreign citizens in a record time, with a plan to build 56 more VRDLs in the next month. This insane level of efficiency hasn’t caught the eye of the media.
India currently has one of the world’s most efficient and reliable testing systems, reducing the time taken to get test results back from 12-14 hours to four hours. US health officials have admitted that their system is failing and testing has been sluggish.
As a result, from Iran, Afghanistan up to Timor Leste, countries in Asia have been requesting India to help set up testing facilities in their countries.
India has sent 6 top scientists to set up a make-shift lab and testing facility in Iran to test 6000 of its citizens because Iranian officials refused to test Indians due to their high load. India plans to send 3 more airplanes next week to airlift its citizens.
India has provided 15 tonnes of medical assistance comprising masks, gloves and other emergency medical equipment to China.
India has sent Maldives a 14 member medical team comprising of pulmonologists, anaesthetists, physicians & lab technicians and also a large composite of COVID-19 medical relief to assist Maldives health authorities.
India has screened 1,057,506 people from 30 airports and 77 seaports till 12th March.
India has suspended all visas to India as well as visa-free travel facility for OCI cardholders. It has closed its border with Myanmar. The Indian nationals coming from COVID-19 hit nations after 15 February will be quarantined for 14 days. This in contrast with the UK with far more cases but no quick action whatsoever.
India has the world’s biggest state-sponsored health assurance scheme, covering over 500 million beneficiaries (approximately 8 times the size of the UK).
Indian drug prices are among the cheapest in the world. Medbelle ranks India as one of the five countries with the lowest median prices for drugs around the world due to an elaborate price control mechanism for drugs.
China had silenced the doctor who identified COVID-19 and he died 6 weeks later. China let this brew. On the other hand, when Nipah virus was found in India in 2018, 3 doctors identified it and Indian authorities immediately reported it to WHO.
There is no reason to gloat over as the war against COVID-19 is on and these may be early days. But we must realise that a great nation is made of its citizens and we need to contribute positively at our individual level (by watching symptoms in self, family and friends, maintaining personal and community hygiene, informing the authorities etc.) to fight this crisis…
And Beyond too…
*Published as received
#COVID19 #Coronavirus #India #China