Karnataka government sets deadline to get COVID issues right

BENGALURU: Shortage of beds, Remdisivir, vaccines, oxygen and lack of quick service from 108 and 1912 and more. There are a lot of things wrong with Covid management in the state. But the administration says it needs 36 hours to set it all right. “Everything will be in place. There will be response from 108 and 1912, vaccines and Remdisivir will be available and patients will get beds, ICU and oxygen,” a senior government official, not wanting to be quoted, told The New Indian Express.

“This proves that the government has failed. What can be set right in one hour, the government is taking 36 hours! We are reaching a new peak of cases every day, and the number of people calling for basic services has increased, revealing that the system has collapsed,” admitted a senior IAS officer.

Experts working closely with the government said they are being continuously informed about the second wave and the mutating strains of the virus. But the government (politicians and bureaucrats) are too confident of overcoming the second wave too. “An IAS officer at a meeting said, ‘We successfully handled the situation last year and the Central Government applauded us. We will handle this too and there is nothing to worry’,” the expert said.

“But looking at the helplessness of people, it is evident that the government has not learnt anything from the past. In fact, it is repeating the same mistakes and also committing newer ones,” the expert added.
Private hospitals and State Government are blaming each other for the present situation.

“The State Government should have increased the bed and oxygen supply capacity. It should have kept CCCs ready. More facilities should have been created in medical colleges and hospitals,” a doctor from a reputed private hospital said.

But a government official retorted, saying, “It is the duty of private hospitals to cooperate and increase their capacity. During such times, instead of thinking of profits, they should focus on serving the people.”
Amid lack of facilities, citizens are left wondering whether the government is functioning at all. “Why didn’t the government prepare for what was going to happen? They have so many experts and the health minister is a doctor. He should have created facilities. We are forced to use influence for test reports, to get an ambulance, hospital beds and vaccine. It is a sorry state of affairs,” said Madhu P, a citizen who sought help to arrange for an ICU bed at Manipal Hospital.