Hyderabad: Amid a second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, India is facing a different kind of shortages in the health sector. As covid cases are increasing day by day in India since the last two months, different issues have popped up which shows a lack of health infrastructure in India, despite assurances by the centre.
List of Shortages in Covid 2.0
- Oxygen Cylinder: The supply of medical oxygen in the country is limited. Therefore, it is a big challenge for the government to produce more in less time. Large tankers of oxygen cannot be moved at high speeds. Also, it takes a lot of time to fill gas in small cylinders with large tankers. Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Delhi and Gujarat are among the most affected states.
- Remdisivir: The rise in Covid-19 cases led to a huge demand for Remdisivir and with it came indiscriminate usage, hoarding, and black marketers, causing artificial shortage to jack up prices. Due to this, many private as well as government hospitals are facing a shortage of Remdisivir medicines which have been reported in multiple states like Maharashtra, Delhi, Gujarat, MP, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan.
- Blood Bank: Since Covid began people stopped donating blood, due to which shortage of blood could be seen in hospitals. Lockdown also shut down blood donation camps. A recent order by the National Blood Transfusion Council (NBTC) may just make it worse. NBTC states that blood can be donated only 28 days after a person takes the COVID vaccination.
- Doctor: For per 10,000 population, there are only 8 physicians to take care of patients.
- Hospital Beds: Steady increase in Covid cases in many states of India has led to a lack of beds in hospitals. Three beds for every two patients reflects a scary picture of Covid condition in India. Twenty of the 28 districts in Chhattisgarh, 12 districts out of 36 in Maharashtra, 13 districts out of 52 in Madhya Pradesh and eight districts out of 22 in Punjab have run out of beds owing to the rising number of Covid-19 cases.
- Mortuaries: Melting furnaces at crematoriums running non-stop, bodies piling up and smoke from continuously burning flesh creating another health risk for locals. Earlier 15 to 20 bodies were coming in a day and now around 80 to 100 dead bodies are coming daily. Even after the crematorium doubled capacity when India’s first virus wave struck last year and started operating 24 hours a day, families still need to wait at least two to three hours to cremate the bodies of their relatives.
- RT PCR Test: Lack of RT PCR testing in multiple states, increased covid cases in India. RT-PCR tests are needed for an accurate diagnosis of the infection.
- Ambulances: There is a shortage of ambulances as cases are growing day by day.
Also read: India's Covid recovery rate at 82.33%, says Centre
Steps taken by Central Government to counter the crisis
- Government capped the price of Remdesivir making it affordable and to stop black marketing of this medicine.
- The manufacturers and marketers voluntarily reduced the MRP of Remdesivir after government intervention.
- Government bans the supply of Remdesivir to foreign countries.
- Govt prohibited supply of oxygen for industrial purposes to meet the demand for Covid patients.
- MHA writes to States to give special attention on keeping the supply of medical oxygen smooth and hassle-free across the country.
- The Railways Ministry is gearing up to transport Liquid Medical Oxygen (LMO) and Oxygen Cylinders across the key corridors.
- To facilitate easy and smooth transport of oxygen across the country, a Green Corridor is being created for fast movement of Oxygen Express Trains. This will ensure the supply of medical oxygen in bulk and rapidly to patients.
- Centre said states like Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat need to ramp up RT-PCR tests.
