The second wave of coronavirus pandemic has hit India in the worst possible way. The spread of the second and third mutant viruses is fuelling the rise in India covid cases. Unfortunately, there is a severe shortage of oxygen supply, and families of covid affected people are hopelessly looking for leads to save their dear ones.
Apart from a short supply of oxygen, families have to ferry sick people from one hospital to another due to the lack of enough hospital beds. However, most of the time, the efforts are going to vain, and the patients are losing their lives due to not receiving treatment at the right time.
Social media is currently flooded with news of devastation and death. It shows families of sick people pleading for oxygen from any available sources. People are crying on the streets after family members are dying, waiting for treatment.
Recently, a woman made headlines after making bold statements regarding the rise in India covid cases. She was mourning the death of her 50-year-old brother after he was refused treatment by two hospitals and was waiting at the door of the third one.
The woman blames Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the death of her brother and hundreds of other people. She accuses him of lighting pyres in every house. Sunday, April 25, 2021, marked the fourth day on which India consistently leads the charts for the daily figure of covid infections worldwide.
India covid cases are rising from thousands to millions
The deadly new variant in India seems to be the reason for such a spike rate in the country, as per experts. Besides, the surge in India covid cases nullifies the government’s earlier claims of winning over the pandemic. The additional figure of 349,691 cases brings the total number of infected in the country to cross the 16.9 million mark.
India now stands second after the United States of America in the covid race. Moreover, the Health Ministry has again come up with a report of over 2767 deaths leading the fatality figure to go above 192,311.
Experts believe that there is a major undercount in the fatality figure. Many deaths are not part of the lists, stating underlying conditions and other reasons.
Crematoriums and graveyards are running out of space
The crisis is most visible in the overwhelming scenes of crematoriums and graveyards. Plus, the pictures of patients waiting outside hospital gates are nothing but heartbreaking. New Delhi, the capital city of India, is running short of crematorium spaces.
What glows like the bright sun in the evening skies is the light from funeral pyres in all majorly affected cities. For example, in Bhopal, the capacity of crematoriums has gone up from a dozen to 50 at a time, and there are still constant queues of people who want to perform the last rites of family members.
The workers at Bhopal’s Bhadbhada Vishram Ghat Crematorium report cremating over 110 people only on Saturday, April 24. A crematorium official states that the coronavirus seems to be engulfing people of the city like a giant monster.
Mamtesh Sharma, the crematorium official, also reveals that it is not possible anymore to perform individual rituals, which is otherwise very important for Hindus. With the rise in deaths, they are burning bodies collectively at arrival, just like there is a war in progress.
According to Mohammed Shameem, a chief gravedigger in the most significant New Delhi Muslim cemetery, burials this year is many more. Moreover, he reveals that there will soon be a shortage in space for burials if the cases keep rising in the same way.
The government does not want to take responsibility for the situation
While on the one hand, patients are waiting at hospital gates to receive treatment, health officials are relentlessly trying to expand emergency units to be able to cater to more people at the same time.
The health department is trying to stock up as much oxygen as they can to save more people. Both patient parties and hospitals are willing to purchase rare equipment at remarkably higher rates. The same is available only in the black market due to a shortage otherwise. The drama seems to be in contradiction to Solicitor General Tushar Mehta’s statement.
Recently, in Delhi High Court, he says that noone in the country is left without oxygen supply. Moreover, this kind of situation comes as a massive failure when the Prime Minister of India declared a victory over the pandemic in January only.
It is a complete breakdown of the country’s morale to be in this situation. Especially, when the government boasts of being the global pharmacy just a couple of months ago. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, claims that the nation is an example for other countries after a vaccine launch. However, things are surely not going as per expectation, it seems.
The government is caught off-guard with the constant rise in India covid cases. As a result, the health ministry has requested healthcare industrialists to up the production of life-saving drugs and oxygen. However, health experts are losing hope because India had enough time to gear up for the second wave. However, the government did not take enough steps to do so.
PM Modi faces severe criticism after allowing mass gatherings
PM Modi is at the end of massive criticism for allowing religious gatherings and election rallies. Experts belive these are the natural causes of this surge. At one of the rallies on April 17, PM Modi expresses delight to see such a massive gathering of supporters.
Unfortunately, it was right after experts were warning that the same can lead to a huge rise in covid cases. Now, with the inevitable happening, the Hindu Nationalist government is doing nothing but quelling critical voices.
On the other hand, Twitter removed many government criticizing posts from the platform after a request from the central government. These tweets were from Modi oppositions, the ordinary people of the country, and journalists.
US President Joe Biden stands beside India, stating that he will do all that he can to support the people. These are dire situations and support is the least they can do. Moreover, he says that it is a counter gesture towards the country. It is considering the support that the US got from India during the early stages of the pandemic. Help also arrives from neighboring countries such as Pakistan in the form of oxygen cylinders, PPE, and other medical equipment.