Coronavirus Overwhelms Healthcare Facilities In Mumbai, Delhi

As the number of coronavirus cases rises across the country hospitals in Mumbai and Delhi, among other metropolitan cities find their infrastructure stretched to the limits. Reports are streaming in about unavailability of beds in hospitals in most of the metros in the country.

The coronavirus pandemic has brought into sharp focus India's failure as a nation, to prioritise healthcare as an important sector. As is being seen, urban centres are the worst hit by the pandemic.

With COVID-19 finding its way into the rural hinterland, one can imagine the scenario in rural pockets of India. One shudders to think of how things would play out if the pandemic were to affect villages in a big way.

Sting operations by television channels have revealed the extent to which hospitals in Delhi have been overwhelmed completely. What is worse is that many hospitals insisted on premium cash payments and refused to accept medical insurance.

The Supreme Court also took suo motu cognisance of the COVID-19 crisis in the national capital. It pulled up the Delhi government in a hearing last week and also asked the authorities to ramp up testing.

The coronavirus crisis in Delhi was reviewed by Union Home Minister Amit Shah who held a meeting with Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal amd Lt. Governor Anil Baijal on Sunday. Amit Shah is currently chairing an all-party meeting on the COVID-19 situation in Delhi.

The national capital has recorded over 44,000 COVID-19 cases putting local hospitals under severe strain.

Mumbai's healthcare infrastructure has also been severely tested as the pandemic continues to overwhelm the city's hospitals. Maharashtra has recorded over a lakh cases with more than 70% of them coming from Mumbai. Several videos depicting the condition in the COVID wards of hospitals have gone viral on social media. Moreover, hospitals have been hit by staffers working on the getting infected as well.

The coronavirus pandemic should come as an eye-opener to policy planners in our country. We can afford to ignore factoring higher allotments for healthcare in our budgets at our own peril.