Adopt the best virus containment strategies
- The People's Chronicle Editorial :: May 21, 2021 -

AMID the grim Covid-19 situation in the state, the government has been devising various strategies to contain the spread of the pandemic, prevent casualties and calm the nerves of the distressed citizens.

Among the recent few notable steps, the government authorities have put restriction on use of the public address system which many local bodies have been relying upon to disseminate information on varied issues including reminding the locals to follow the Covid-19 safety protocols, go for vaccination and make the people aware about residences declared as containment zones.

Similarly, certain restrictive conditions have been laid down with regard to usage of siren on ambulances regardless of the fact that medical experts have been reminding all concerned about importance of the 'golden hours' to save the patients.

In-spite of the roads wearing deserted look these days owing to imposition of curfew, possibility of occupied or empty ambulances in silent mode rushing patients to hospital or scurrying to pick up the sick ones ramming at vehicles racing out of the various streets in equal haste cannot be ruled out.

Understandably, these restrictions have been put in place to lessen the hysteria among the citizens amid the distressful coronavirus pandemic but it is worth considering whether the priority should be on ensuring patients in critical condition safely avail timely treatment in hospital set-up or serenity to few citizens during such stressful time.

Considering the fact that doctors have been stressing on early detection of any ailment and prompt admission in hospital for treatment as the best possible solutions, ambulances moving in high speed facing misfortune as a consequence of restricting the use of the warning system would be the last wish of any patient.

Had the Covid-19 situation been under control or the hospitals not overwhelmed with patients, then it is obvious that neither would there be any necessity to blare out precautionary messages through the loud speakers in the neighbourhood nor would ambulances move about in such alarming frequency.

Thus, it is hoped that the latest move to constitute a seven-member committee comprising noted medical practitioners and health department administrators would not only bring to the public domain causes of death of Covid patients but also come up with suggestions effective enough to solve the pandemic, which has been bringing great misfortune to all sections of the society.

Though it is unlikely that the Committee would pass the buck on the government for the crisis situation as the latter has been asserting that there has been adequate and regular supply of medical oxygen, provision of essential drugs and availability of ambulances, formation of the experts' panel will serve no purpose in case strategies to prevent more casualties cannot be worked out at the soonest possible.

At this critical juncture, the concerned citizens wouldn't mind if the deaths had occurred due to medical negligence, if any, or misjudgement of the threat perception on the part of the policy makers.

Rather, everybody would wish that the Committee would propose to the government to follow virus containment and fatality prevention strategies successfully adopted in cities, states or countries.

For instance, India's commercial city Mumbai is recording fewer deaths during the second wave though it is among the worst-hit cities in the country.

As such, the Mumbai model may be studied and adopted in the state when it is not too late.