Best chance to prevent virus deaths
- The People's Chronicle Editorial :: October 09, 2021 -

NOW that the state has enough functional medical oxygen plants coupled with the daily positivity rate remaining fairly stable, if not totally under control, the time has come for the authorities concerned to put in place the best strategies for ending the miseries endured by the public due to the Covid-19 pandemic for nearly two years.

While outbreak of the contagion in India in the first quarter of year 2020 exposed shortages in healthcare infrastructure and manpower, consequently resulting in thousands of people contracting the viral disease, the second wave brought to the fore lack of medical oxygen considered vital to infuse life into seriously ill patients.

In fact, owing to limited oxygen plants and inadequate supplies compared to its huge demand during the virulent second wave, the country had to import the same at a time when some national leaders started to gloat over exporting the vaccines and claimed India as the saviour of the global community from the pandemic.

As India's daily cases and fatalities topped the world, policy makers were compelled to establish oxygen plants on war footing with Prime Minister Narendra Modi egging and prodding authorities concerned to ensure unrestrained focus towards ensuring adequate supply of the medical oxygen.

By floating the PM CARES fund specifically for ramping up the healthcare infrastructure and prioritising domestic production of medical oxygen, the Prime Minister demonstrated that lives should be saved at all cost.

Thus, it is due to his persistence that the country no more needs to import medical oxygen but is in a position to supply it to countries in need.

Similar to the national scenario, Manipur too has more than enough oxygen plants now.

As per the official record, the state have 16 PSA Oxygen Plants set up under the PM CARES and 10 other PSA plants made operational at different medical facilities.

For a state having 16 districts, existence of a total of 26 oxygen plants signifies that all major healthcare facilities shouldn't have any serious issue over shortage of medical oxygen.

Under such a marked improvement in the situation vis-a-vis medical oxygen, it would be indigestible if healthcare professionals and workers cannot prevent Covid induced deaths and continue to cite belated hospitalisation for the fatalities.

Moreover, Prime Minister Modi is unlikely to rejoice over any sort of personal glorification; as was the case when chief minister Biren on behalf of the people of Manipur expressed gratitude to the Prime Minister for sanctioning PSA Oxygen Plants for all the 16 districts of the state under PM CARES Fund, if deaths could not be prevented.

In view of mutation of the novel coronavirus and the continuous unlock processes it is obvious that fresh cases would crop up. As such, the priority area for the government authorities is to save as many lives as possible so as to make the existence of medical oxygen plants serve the purpose.

While it is guaranteed that the Union government would act with generosity till the threat from the pandemic exists, diligence and compassion of the healthcare personnel in catering to the needs of the patients would be decisive in saving lives.