There is nothing by way of preparation that is explained to give the people hope that things be less punishing and thousands will not die without medical care. No visible activities are found to prepare the hospitals.
What is deeply frustrating and shameful is — our commitment and character are under challenge. Our competent people are proving themselves timid and self-entered in resisting the evil forces and not doing the right thing even when the nation is in a huge crisis of incompetence.
The corona pandemic is a worldwide crisis and we need international cooperation for handling the crisis. The minister with the government lied to break down the government machinery without taking adequate preparations for which the nation cannot be mobilised. Only fear of police power was used for getting away with lies.
We are facing the dangerous disease but we have no healthcare facilities to be trusted. Another unfortunate thing the government is feared by those who are competent to guide the government to the right way. The government itself has no public credibility. So the government’s well intentions are also not taken seriously by the people.
There has not been made any communication with the people openly so that the press people could obtain clarifications for better understanding of the government activities with regard to the pandemic. But they issue statements being unaware of the people’s right to know. The ministers are concerned most about how the bloggers are damaging their image.
The Health Services Directorate on Friday revealed the conditions for the release of COVID-19 patients from hospital. According to the new protocol, a patient could be released from hospital if they get recovery from fever. They won’t need any medication for it if other respiratory infection symptoms such as dry cough decrease remarkably.
The new guidelines propose to check through tests if the viral infection is still present in the patient before releasing them but it was not mandatory in case of those showing mild symptoms for three days.
But the virologists and public health experts warned that the new clinical management guidelines enabling the release of COVID-19 patients with mild symptoms from hospitals would turn poor neighbourhoods into coronavirus hotspots.
Public health experts said that the government has decided to release patients before they are free of coronavirus and asked them stay self-isolated at home. Rich and middle-class people could afford to self-isolate at home but for the poor living in cramped shanties and houses self-isolation is out of question.
We have been urging the government to take decisions in consultation with the experts in the fight against the health pandemic. The government has formed an advisory committee and the committee members must get due importance. The people have no confidence in the government health officials.
If they had any seriousness the healthcare system would not have been in such disarray. Our suggestion was to meet the press with experts to issue medical guidelines. At least give the guidelines convincingly in the presence of the experts.
