Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

Medical journal slams Indian government for 'squandering' early success on Covid-19

Medical journal slams Indian government for 'squandering' early success on Covid-19

The Indian government has been blasted for ignoring warnings of a second wave, encouraging complacency, and failing to be transparent on Covid-19 data, in a scathing editorial in prestigious medical journal The Lancet.

The publication branded the response by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government "inexcusable."

India is currently in the midst of the world's worst Covid-19 outbreak. It reported 403,738 additional cases Sunday, marking the fourth consecutive day it has recorded more than 400,000 cases and bringing the country's total reported infections to more than 22 million.

More than 900,000 Covid-19 patients in India are on oxygen support -- about a quarter of all active cases -- and a further 170,000 are on ventilators, the country's health minister, Harsh Vardhan, said Saturday. India has a test positivity rate of about 22%, according to Johns Hopkins University, meaning it is likely not capturing all Covid-19 cases.

The health ministry also reported an additional 4,092 deaths Sunday, the second time in a row the country has recorded more than 4,000 deaths in a single day.

India has now recorded 242,362 Covid-19 deaths -- the third-highest death toll in the world. The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington estimates that by August, India may have reached 1 million deaths.

"If that outcome were to happen, (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi's Government would be responsible for presiding over a self-inflicted national catastrophe," the Lancet editorial warned.


'Inexcusable' actions
According to the Lancet editorial, India "squandered its early successes" in controlling Covid-19.

The government failed by giving the public the impression the country had beaten the virus, which encouraged complacency and insufficient preparation, and slowed the start of the country's "botched" vaccination campaign, according to the editorial. Despite warning about "the risks of superspreader events," religious festivals and political rallies were allowed to go ahead.

And on top of that, the government tried to control critical discussion online, by asking Twitter to remove tweets about Covid-19, including some that were critical of Modi.

"Modi's actions in attempting to stifle criticism and open discussion during the crisis are inexcusable," the editorial said.

The editorial urged India to increase vaccine supply and work to create an equitable distribution system of the vaccine. As of Saturday evening local time, 35 million people in India had received their second dose, meaning about 2.7% of India's 1.3 billion population are fully vaccinated, according to a press release issued by the health ministry.

It also urged India to publish accurate data, expand genomic testing and explain to the public the necessity of wearing masks, social distancing, halting mass gatherings, voluntary quarantine and testing.

The editorial noted that until April, the government's Covid-19 taskforce had not met in months.

"The consequences of that decision are clear before us, and India must now restructure its response while the crisis rages," the editorial said. "The success of that effort will depend on the government owning up to its mistakes, providing responsible leadership and transparency, and implementing a public health response that has science at its heart."


Oxygen availability
With hospitals battling desperate shortages of oxygen, India's top court has set up a 12-member National Task Force to assess the availability and distribution of medical oxygen, according to a court order released Saturday.

Hospitals across India have been reporting desperate shortages of oxygen despite dozens of countries pledging critical aid.

Last week the Indian government said it had installed a "streamlined mechanism" for allocating aid, but state and local authorities said they had been kept in the dark.

The task force has been set up to give central government input and strategies for meeting the challenges of the pandemic, according to a court order released Saturday.

"The rationale for constituting a Task Force at a national level is to facilitate a public health response to the pandemic based on scientific and specialized domain knowledge," the order said, adding that it expected leading experts. "This will facilitate a meeting of minds and the formulation of scientific strategies to deal with an unprecedented human crisis."

Members include senior health professionals, academics and government officials.

Based on the order, the terms of reference are to "assess and make recommendations for the entire country based on the need for, availability and distribution of medical oxygen" as well as to determine the amount of medical oxygen to be allocated to states and union territories on a "scientific, rational and equitable basis."
AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Vatican hosts first Catholic LGBTQ pilgrimage
Apple Unveils iPhone 17 Series, iPhone Air, Apple Watch 11 and More at 'Awe Dropping' Event
France joins Eurozone’s ‘periphery’ as turmoil deepens, say investors
France Faces New Political Crisis, again, as Prime Minister Bayrou Pushed Out
Nayib Bukele Points Out Belgian Hypocrisy as Brussels Considers Sending Army into the Streets
France, at an Impasse, Heads Toward Another Government Collapse
The Country That Got Too Rich? Public Spending Dominates Norway Election
EU Proposes Phasing Out Russian Oil and Gas by End of 2027 to End Energy Dependence
More Than 150,000 Followers for a Fictional Character: The New Influencers Are AI Creations
EU Prepares for War
Trump Threatens Retaliatory Tariffs After EU Imposes €2.95 Billion Fine on Google
Tesla Board Proposes Unprecedented One-Trillion-Dollar Performance Package for Elon Musk
Gold Could Reach Nearly $5,000 if Fed Independence Is Undermined, Goldman Sachs Warns
Uruguay, Colombia and Paraguay Secure Places at 2026 World Cup
Trump Administration Advances Plans to Rebrand Pentagon as Department of War Instead of the Fake Term Department of Defense
Big Tech Executives Laud Trump at White House Dinner, Unveil Massive U.S. Investments
Tether Expands into Gold Sector with Profit-Driven Diversification
‘Looks Like a Wig’: Online Users Express Concern Over Kate Middleton
Florida’s Vaccine Revolution: DeSantis Declares War on Mandates
Trump’s New War – and the ‘Drug Tyrant’ Fearing Invasion: ‘1,200 Missiles Aimed at Us’
"The Situation Has Never Been This Bad": The Fall of PepsiCo
At the Parade in China: Laser Weapons, 'Eagle Strike,' and a Missile Capable of 'Striking Anywhere in the World'
The Fashion Designer Who Became an Italian Symbol: Giorgio Armani Has Died at 91
Putin Celebrates ‘Unprecedentedly High’ Ties with China as Gazprom Seals Power of Siberia-2 Deal
China Unveils New Weapons in Grand Military Parade as Xi Hosts Putin and Kim
Rapper Cardi B Cleared of Liability in Los Angeles Civil Assault Trial
Google Avoids Break-Up in U.S. Antitrust Case as Stocks Rise
Couple celebrates 80th wedding anniversary at assisted living facility in Lancaster
Information Warfare in the Age of AI: How Language Models Become Targets and Tools
The White House on LinkedIn Has Changed Their Profile Picture to Donald Trump
"Insulted the Prophet Muhammad": Woman Burned Alive by Angry Mob in Niger State, Nigeria
Trump Responds to Death Rumors – Announces 'Missile City'
Druzhba Pipeline Incident Sparks Geopolitical Tensions
Cost of Opposition Leader Péter Magyar's Economic Plan Revealed
Germany in Turmoil: Ukrainian Teenage Girl Pushed to Death by Illegal Iraqi Migrant
United Krack down on human rights: Graham Linehan Arrested at Heathrow Over Three X Posts, Hospitalised, Released on Bail with Posting Ban
Asian and Middle Eastern Investors Avoid US Markets
Ray Dalio Warns of US Shift to Autocracy
Eurozone Inflation Rises to 2.1% in August
Russia and China Sign New Gas Pipeline Deal
Von der Leyen's Plane Hit by Suspected Russian GPS Interference in an Incident Believed to Be Caused by Russia or by Pro-Peace or by Anti-Corruption European Activists
China's Robotics Industry Fuels Export Surge
Suntory Chairman Resigns After Police Probe
Gold Price Hits New All-Time Record
UK Fintechs Explore Buying US Banks
Greece Suspends 5% of Schools as Birth Rate Drops
Apollo to Launch $5 Billion Sports Investment Vehicle
Bolsonaro Trial Nears Close Amid US-Brazil Tension
European Banks Push for Lower Cross-Border Barriers
Poland's Offshore Wind Sector Attracts Investors
×