Megahealth Care Crisis
The increased surge in the COVID infections per day has taken a toll on the weak health infrastructure of the country. India remains in a bad situation to deal with the rapid spread of the second wave of coronavirus. The unprecedented crisis has exposed the truth of the poor health state in India and has highlighted the need to increase investments in the healthcare sector.
India has now become the new global coronavirus hotspot. As of now, the country is settling records of the world's highest number of coronavirus cases. Everywhere on social media, one can see images of hospitals crowded with sick and infected people as the medical staff and the common man are appealing for oxygen supplies.
If we go by numbers, then with every 8.5 hospital beds per 10,000 population and 8 physicians per 10,000, our country’s health care sector is not at all prepared for this mega-crisis. In other words, we can say that the deficiency of health care deliverables and acute shortage of the healthcare delivery systems in the public sector is not matching with the growing need of sick and tired populations.
Approximately 80 percent of the population do not have any significant health insurance plan and nearly 70 per cent of the population has no or a very limited access to basic essential medicines. The supporting evidence for shortage of medicine can be seen with the dip of antiviral remdesivir drug which is in short supply as the country is battling with the second wave of COVID-19.
Be it lack of beds or dip in medicine supply or massive shortage of oxygen supply, India is battling with a new challenge everyday while battling with the second wave of Coronavirus.
These facts prove that the continued lack of medical funding and the upside down healthcare infrastructure will lead to further worsening of pandemic.
India is a country of about of 1.35 billion people. Out of these, nearly 139,052,400 people have been administered first dose and 39,244,482 have been administered second doze till 14 May 2021. Although this count stands after the United States and China, but still we are lagging far behind in terms of immunizations per capita.
India is named as the world's biggest vaccine maker country. Recently, the country had expanded its inoculation programme to include everyone above the age of 45. But looking at the present scenario, statistically it has vaccinated only about one in 25 people as compared with statistical analysis of one in two in Britain and one in three in the United States.
In such circumstances, the mortality should be avoided by gearing up healthcare infrastructure, improvising availability of oxygen, increasing the number of ventilators besides other necessary logistics. Not to forget, it becomes imperative to ensure that clinical management protocols should be followed simultaneously across all hospitals as well as for the patients settled for home care programme.
The states are now revamping their health infrastructure to tackle the rising number of infected patients.
Several countries are giving their support to India as the country fights the second wave of Covid-19. In the current scenario, India needs help for two parameters- vaccine and oxygen.
Several nations are offering rapid testing kits, medicines, masks, PPE kits, ventilators, etc to India.
Many countries have aided India with medical supplies such as raw materials needed for vaccines, critical COVID-related medical supplies, oxygen generation equipment, and for an enhanced capability for smoother transportation and storage of oxygen.
About the author
Dr D K Gupta is a renowned paediatrician, public healthcare expert, author and eminent speaker at different healthcare forums and leading news channels. He is a healthcare entrepreneur and chairman of Felix Hospital. He has received several gold aedals, Awards, recognitions at national & international level during his medical and entrepreneurship journey.
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