Hospitals and morgues overwhelmed as India records highest daily deaths since the start of the pandemic

India’s total Covid-19 cases passed 18 million yesterday after another world record number of daily infections.

Gravediggers are now working around the clock to bury victims and hundreds more were cremated in makeshift pyres in parks.

India reported 379,257 new infections and 3,645 new deaths yesterday, the highest number of fatalities in a day since the pandemic started.

The world’s second most populous nation is in deep crisis, with hospitals and morgues overwhelmed.

Each day, thousands of Indians search frantically for hospital beds and life-saving oxygen for sick relatives, using social media apps and personal contacts.

Hospital beds that become available, especially in intensive care units (ICUs), are snapped up in minutes.

“The ferocity of the second wave took everyone by surprise,” K Vijay Raghavan, principal scientific adviser to the government, was quoted as saying in the Indian Express newspaper.

“While we were all aware of second waves in other countries, we had vaccines at hand, and no indications from modelling exercises suggested the scale of the surge.”

India’s military has begun moving key supplies, such as oxygen, across the nation and will open its healthcare facilities to civilians. Hotels and railway coaches have been converted into critical care facilities to make up for the shortage of hospital beds.

India’s best hope is to vaccinate its vast population, experts say, and on Wednesday it opened registration for all above the age of 18 to receive shots from tomorrow.

Although it is the world’s biggest producer of vaccines, India does not have the stocks for the estimated 800 million now eligible.

Many who tried to sign up for vaccination said they failed, complaining on social media of being unable to get a slot or even to simply get on the website, as it repeatedly crashed.

“Statistics indicate that the system is performing without any glitches,” the government said.

Only about 9pc of India’s population of about 1.4 billion has received a dose since the vaccination campaign began in January. However, while the second wave overwhelms the health system, the official death rate is below that of Brazil and the United States.

India has reported 147.2 deaths per million, the Reuters global Covid-19 tracker shows, while Brazil and the United States reported figures of 1,800 and 1,700 respectively.

However, medical experts believe India’s true numbers may be five to 10 times greater than the official tally.

India now expects close to 550 oxygen generating facilities from around the world as medical aid starts pouring in.

Irish Independent