The second COVID-19 wave in the rural India- Unpredicted, Underestimated and Unnoticed
The second coronavirus wave has devastated the health sector of India, infecting as many as 4,00,000 people in a single day. The daily death count of the people, lack of oxygen cylinders and the long queues of bodies for cremation have brought India in one of the worst situations in the world. India underestimated the power of the Novel Coronavirus, believing that it had managed to curb the spread of the virus.
Initially, when the virus had entered the country, it was constrained in just urban and sub-urban parts of the country. But since the second wave, the ripples of the COVID-19 have penetrated in the rural India as well. According the World Bank collection of development indicators, 65.53 % of India’s population resides in the rural areas. Due to poor health infrastructure, rural India is the most vulnerable section to the coronavirus.
Dr. Shakil Mohammad, Principal Medical Officer (PMO) of Kuchaman city (Nagaur district- Rajasthan) government hospital said: “The mutant of the coronavirus is highly infectious and it is the prime reason why the rural areas of Rajasthan are now more affected as compared to the first wave.” He also raised the concern over the “lack of oxygen cylinders” in the government hospitals due to which the situation has worsened. “The oxygen gas pipeline system has been installed in the hospital, but the oxygen has not been supplied yet” said Dr. Shakil. The lack of oxygen cylinders amid the second wave is a clear sign of how the central government had not anticipated the rise of Coronavirus cases in the country, when most of the countries were seeing high infection rate due to the second wave of the virus.
In the year 2019, Medical Health & Family Welfare Department of Rajasthan, had released a healthcare scorecard for district hospitals, Community Health Center (CHC) and Primary Health Care (PHC) of the state. It clearly stated the substantial gap between the rural and the urban health infrastructure. According to the report, more than 30% of the CHCs in Rajasthan fall under the category of ‘unsatisfactory’ standards. In a telephonic interview, Dr. Umesh Khanna (Covid-19 nodal officer, Udaipur), when asked about the rural infrastructure of Rajasthan, said that the “condition and functioning” of a CHC depends on its location. “If the CHC is in a place where there are good facilities for doctors and other staff, such as quarters and living spaces, then the facilities and availability of doctors automatically improves.”
The main reasons behind the rise of coronavirus cases in India which are being discussed by the media are the return of pilgrims from Kumbh Mela, marriages and unnecessary movement of people. “People who returned from Kumbh Mela are the super spreaders in my district” said Dr. Rajendra Mittal, Covid-19 nodal officer of a district hospital in Jodhpur. He also expressed his concern over the lack of isolation beds, oxygen supported beds and ventilators in the district hospitals of Jodhpur, that is witnessing more than 2000 cases every day.
Covid-19 vaccines have been into discussions since the beginning of the pandemic. As on 8th may 2021, India has vaccinated 9.8% and 2.27% of its population with dose 1 and dose 2 respectively and around 3.29Cr people have been fully vaccinated. India is world’s largest vaccine producing nation but as for now, it is facing a vaccine shortage crisis that will allow the coronavirus to continue to infect more and more people in the country.
Data related to people getting vaccinated in rural India is currently unavailable.
The peak of the second coronavirus wave is yet to set its foot on ground but before that, the experts have anticipated the third wave and its consequences. Lockdowns have started emerging in different states. Oxygen is still an issue. Beds are scarce. Among all this, there is a question that need to be answered. Is India still prepared to handle the coronavirus situation which had emerged 423 days back?