Combating Covid-19 devastation in India

In this context the Government of India Ministry of Health and Family Welfare released revised guidelines for home isolation / asymptomatic covid-19 cases; it is high time to review these guidelines document. The document contains nine sections. The essence of the guidelines broadly can be categorised into two parts, one is instructions for the home isolation of mild and asymptomatic Covid-19 cases, secondly, role of the state and district authorities. Most of the instruct ructions are suggestive in nature ignored the actual implementation. The roles of the state and district authorities are described but completely ignored the role of the central government, moreover it just considering that the centre has advisory role. In other cases it donating the centre state relations where as in this crisis situation limiting its role by releasing guidelines. Further the detailed analysis on this home isolation and the role of the district or local authorities given below.

In my research, one of the main reason for spread of covid-19, which I observed is housing pattern - in one room more than four and five sometimes even six persons are living and using the same toilet-. Therefore, if a candidate is affected in a home remaining persons are aromatically getting infected. So the efforts of the government to stop the spread of the virus are hampered.

1. Identifying the local school and college hostel buildings to convert them into Corona Care Centres (unlike isolation and quarantine centres). In every district we have a university, so the university hostel buildings may also be utilized for this Corona Care Centres. Every village must be ensured to have this CCC in order to reach the expected goal to stop the virus spread. 2. In this CCC only preliminary health facilities will be given such as separate bed, food and basic medical facilities for those who infected by the corona virus. Only initial and less sever patients will be accommodated if the severity increased the patients need to be shifted to the better hospitals.

3. In this CCC centres Local Doctors, Nurses, ANMs, Medical staff, Asha Volunteers, Anganwadi teachers and other local government health and sanitation departments' men power will be utilized as of requirement.

4. This CCC centres will be run under the supervision of local MRO and under control of district Collectors and with the help of health and sanitation departments. Further police department may also extend their role in security, law and order issues.

Finally, the expected outcome of this CCC centres are to stop the spread of deadly virus in the state and also to utilized infrastructure and human resources in the best possible manner. If this CC C centres implemented properly, the model will be example for the other states in the country. In due course of time, this tentative proposal of converting all Government School, College, and university hostel buildings into a temporary arrangement of Corona Care Centres (CCCs) is also submitted to the higher authorities of the state government. In the end it is worthwhile to mention the world famous medical journal in its recent volume analysed the situation in India and highlighted the causes and consequences. After observing the all these international journals and public opinion the major causes for the present health crisis is the leadership of the country lacking proper vision and direction and institutional failure are the foremost important reasons for the covid-19 devastation in the country.

(The author is Former Dean Social Science, OU, and Director, Academic Audit Cell, OU)