The mankind is facing an unparalleled challenge from the novel coronavirus, the Covid-19, which causes respiratory infection began its deadly journey from Wuhan in China. The numbers of affected persons are increasing all around the world and more than three and a half million confirmed cases are there in around 187 countries. It has already taken lives of 406,207 people across the world. The United States of America tops the list of affected countries with a more than million persons and a whopping death toll of more than a lakh. The United Kingdom, Italy, Spain and the France are the worst hit European Countries. The spread has been declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization on March 11, indicating the human to human transmission simultaneously. Interestingly, the epicenter of the virus, in China, the death toll is officially stated as 4600 and this figure has prompted several debates in international platforms. The Countries were taken aback by the severity of the viral spread, the systemic pressure it mounted on the medical infrastructure of these countries. The sudden rise in the number of patients stifled the available infrastructure, the horrifying ground realities are beyond the imagination of any fiction writer. The world groped in dark since not much was known about the virus, its pattern of spread, its intensity coupled with its deadly ruin of human respiratory system. The world has seen devastating wars which were human induced tragedies but this battle is certainly different as none of the world nations know the true nature of the enemy, yes, the invisible enemy is continuing its onslaught on human race. No nationality, race, religion, region is immune to the deadly virus, it goes with all who breaches the physical distancing, it befriends all who are reluctant to cover up their faces and fails to keep a higher personal hygiene.
Historic battle of India
India, a nation with more than one billion population is fighting a war of epic proportion, it’s a battle which is different than the one which it has fought with its enemies in the past. Prime Minister Narender Modi made a swift intervention in declaring a strict national lockdown from March 25 and the nation is on a path of complete unlocking. India is passing through a most delicate phase as it has a huge responsibility to take care of 130 crore plus population who have never faced such a disaster. The government came up with a mammoth plan to ensure its citizens are healthy and safe during the first stage of lockdown itself and have undertaken a mammoth economic boosting programme in due course thereafter, in order to meet the first challenge of addressing the hunger, the Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced distribution of 5 kg of wheat or rice and one kilogram of pulses free-of-cost every month for 3 month duration to 80 crore deserving citizens. The Government of India under National Food Security Act provides 5 Kg of food grains at subsidized rate i.e. rice at 3 Kg, wheat at 2 Kg and bajra at 1 kg, the monthly quota of subsidized food grains has been increased to 7 kilo gram over and the free ration shall be over and above this. The Five Kilogram free grains would be under PM Garib Kalyan Anna Yojna. India helped out all other Nations who sought its help in getting adequate medicines by providing the same promptly and declared a comprehensive road map for the economy through the first declaration to cope up the immediate crisis. The Nation had to face challenges as well, the negligence at the initial stages by certain groups contributed to the spread of virus which should have been avoided at any cost. The invisible enemy doesn’t discriminate on the basis of religion or political affiliations and is waiting to inflict severe damages to the mankind if mankind becomes negligent. The rules and regulations are imposed by the authorities are not to distress anyone but to save each and every precious lives, this is an epic battle unparalleled in our history, other than a war, but this is more severe and complicated than fighting a war, as the enemy is invisible and constantly changing its nature. The only way to fight and win this battle is by following the rules chalked out by the authorities and self-care to the hilt. The sporadic violence against Doctors and nurses at some parts of the country was curbed on the nip by quick legal remedial measures. Maharashtra, Gujarat, Delhi, Tamil Nadu and Rajasthan are hardly battling the pandemic.
The central government agencies are coordinating impeccably with the state governments and allied organizations in all fronts to normalize the situation. The voluntary organizations and individuals are also contributing in their own silent ways in dealing the crisis of this mammoth scale.
The Challenges in the midst of a lockdown and during unlocking phase.
The interstate movement of migrant labourers and the evacuation plan for the Indian’s who are stranded in abroad are the two most vital challenges India is facing. Given the nature of spread of the virus, the lockdown was like a general quarantine of entire citizens who could have been identified and treated when affected and sought medical attention. The lockdown provided a breathing space to get the Nation equipped in arranging protective equipment and spreading preventive awareness. The level of alertness has to be kept on ever high mode as the relaxation of the rules, coupled with rising asymptomatic cases would push us to a precarious position. The gains made through a hard lockdown should not be allowed to slip away that easily, the urge to break the lockdown rules and to challenge the administration whether Central or State agencies would be self-destructive as all these regulations are put in place to ensure safety of the citizens only. The Indian Railways have already moved lakhs of stranded labourers to move back to their respective states after inter state co-ordination. While a major section of labourers moved out some others wanted to continue where they are stationed at, this phase has to be handled very carefully, as the outcome of these movements are bound to cause a further spread in distant remote areas to which they belong to. The use of masks, the maintaining of physical distance, and hygiene has to be consistently reminded to the people as there are a large section who believe that easing of restrictions are the result of end of pandemic and any such wrong assumptions would invite serious consequences as we pass through the most critical phase, the month of June, July and August would be very critical periods and heightened alertness and self care would be the best effective care for oneself and society at large.
Evacuation of Our Citizens from abroad, the biggest ever exercise of Government of India, safety norms ensured.
The Covid 19 spread and the national lockdown resulted in Indian citizens getting stranded in various parts of the world. The Government of India and the embassies all across the world have been extending all help to such Indian citizens. The Central Government is undertaking a mammoth effort to bring back, the Indians stranded in various countries from 7th May onwards through Vande Bharat Mission which is on its third successful phase, the first and second phase have brought a total of 107,123 Indians from various parts of the world, the third phase is expected to bring back 38000 Indians. They will be brought back once they register with the Indian missions in the respective countries where they are stranded along with respective details as directed by the Ministry of External Affairs. They will be brought to India by non scheduled commercial flights to be arranged by the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Naval ships arranged by the Department of Military Affairs. Priority will be given to migrant workers who have been laid off, those whose visa expired, persons who face medical emergency, pregnant women, elderly and those who have to return due to a death in family and the students. Since, the Government can’t stop only by arranging the means of evacuation, it has come with very stringent guidelines to ensure proper care of the evacuated citizens based on their inputs which includes vivid details like name, gender, phone number, final destination and RT-PCR test taken and its results. The data of such citizens evacuated would be shared in advance by Ministry of External Affairs to the respective state governments and Union territories. The Ministry of External Affairs has designated its nodal officers to deal with State nodal officers who represent respective states. The Citizens who are being evacuated will have to give an undertaking that they would be undergoing a mandatory institutional quarantine of minimum 14 days on arrival at their own expense. In order to ensure only those persons who are fit enough to travel are being brought back, the MEA would be holding a thermal screening as per health protocol and only the asymptomatic travelers would be allowed to board the flight or ships. Those arriving through the land borders too will have to follow the same protocol and only asymptomatic persons would be allowed to cross into the Indian borders. The self-declaration form with due details of health and personal details shall be filled in advance by the passengers coming from any point of entry i.e. land, sea or airports and the copy of the self declaration form would be given to the health and immigration officials present in the airport/seaport. Due care is taken to ensure that the health protocol of MoCA/DMA will be strictly followed on board the flight/ship. The wearing of masks, environmental hygiene, respiratory hygiene, hand hygiene has to be strictly adhered by the travelers. Elaborate health protocols have to be strictly followed on arrival, thermal screening would be on arrival as per the health protocol by the health officials present at the airport and seaports. The passengers found to be symptomatic would be immediately taken to medical facilities as per the health protocol whereas the others shall be taken to suitable Institutional quarantine facilities arranged by the respective state governments and Union territories. These Institutional quarantine facilities as far as possible shall be arranged by the agencies concerned at the district head quarters of the district to which the arriving passenger belongs to. The most important factor is the 14 days Institutional quarantine of the passengers, this would ensure no body mingles with the family members or other members of the society for a prescribed period thereby effectively preventing the spread of the pandemic if at all anyone is affected and undetected due to the changing nature of novel coronavirus. The travelers are subjected to a test after 14 days and if they test negative they would be allowed to go home and shall undertake a self-monitoring of their health for 14 more days as per protocol and the others shall be taken care by the State governments. The Central Government is discharging its duty to the citizens who have contributed immensely to the economic growth of the Nation in this hour of crisis, the mission is certainly different from the crisis of past as most of those difficult times were rooted in armed strifes but the present one is an unparalleled war induced by a novel virus. Still, the level of alertness, medical care and the meticulous execution of the mission and successful evacuation is a telling tale of commitment and relentless efforts the Central Government is performing amidst an unparalleled crisis.
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