Managing Corona first big challenge for Stalin Govt

After 10 years, the DMK returns to power in Tamil Nadu, led by MK Stalin, whose patience is finally being rewarded with the chief minister’s seat. Having not only guided the party past the death of his father, patriarch M Karunanidhi, in 2018, he also led its alliance to a successful sweep of the Lok Sabha polls in TN, victory in rural local body polls and now, the state Assembly elections.

However, the CM-elect may now be facing his toughest challenge yet: a brutal second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. Although the state is running over 1.5 lakh RT-PCR tests a day, the daily positivity rate is still over 15 per cent. The capital has a TPR beyond 20 per cent.

Government hospitals are full in several parts of Tamil Nadu, while in Chennai long lines of ambulances are seen outside each of the five tertiary government COVID hospitals. TN’s healthcare infrastructure may be better than that of some other states, but there is no doubt that the system is under severe pressure at the moment. The new government will have to hit the ground running. 

So far, Stalin, in his meetings with senior officials, has displayed awareness of the situation’s gravity. The administration has ordered a more stringent lockdown after meeting with him. This may help stem the transmission of the virus.

However, it is imperative that the Chennai Corporation's fever surveillance and triaging efforts are replicated across the state so patients can be quickly screened and treated. This will prevent their condition from deteriorating and ease some of the stress on hospitals.

Healthcare workers must be given the incentives promised to them last year and their strength must be increased as a priority - there is no point of having more beds without enough doctors and nurses to care for the patients in them.

The government must also engage in negotiations with the Centre to ensure the required allocations of vaccines, essential drugs and oxygen. Both Dravidian parties share the credit for TN's many health and social sector achievements.

The outgoing AIADMK government managed the crisis reasonably well. The baton now passes to the DMK. The state is counting on the party’s administrative experience to steer it through the current storm.