The differently abled should be prioritised
During the recent vax drives persons with disabilities had a tough time waiting in queues to get the jab/being tested for Covid. On humanitarian grounds such people who are more vulnerable to disease owing to their physical, sensory and cognitive limitations should be given priority, it would also be prudent if the State opened dedicated testing and inoculation facilities for them, preferably only on ground floors so that the wheelchair bound do not encounter hurdles.
If you enjoyed reading this article, you can help support our journalism by adding OHeraldo as a preferred source.
Section 3 of the Rights of persons with Disabilities Act 2016 on equality and non discrimination ensures that this class is extended favours in all health programmes under the aegis of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. It is heartening to note that differently abled persons have now been classified as frontline/special category workers.
Special Covid care centres should be set up with building approach ramps, wheelchair accessible toilets, parking facilities and accommodation for accompanying care givers; most importantly staff at such facilities should be sensitised to provide succour to them.
Vinay Dwivedi, Benaulim
Internet knowledge, bad for patients
When a surfer blindly believes the knowledge imparted to him by the internet without even double checking it, and confirming it from reliable sources, then the repercussions of such a ‘knowledge’ may prove disastrous. Many doctors are baffled by the immense “internet knowledge” of patients and their relatives who blurt out their understanding on the subject through internet with regards to diagnosis, investigations, drugs and treatment.
Often it is like the patient taking a second opinion from the doctor after having consulted the primary doctor the internet.
When the addiction to internet propels the users to go for a drug not recommended by a doctor, or discontinue a treatment on their own, then the issue can get complicated. In the process, the fine line between information and interaction, knowledge and experience treatment and management, use and misuse get blurred. Unfortunately, people with Internet Derived Information Obstruction Treatment (IDIOT) syndrome or Cyberchondria are proving to be vulnerable during the Covid pandemic.
They are also presenting rare challenges to the treating physicians. Lakhs of people, experiencing fever and cough, are on a self medicating spree.
As a result of their hesitancy to go to the doctor, and excessive dependence on the internet disseminated knowledge, more and more fully blown Covid patients who could have benefited from an early consultation with a doctor are going untreated or are being treated late in the day. Sometimes imaginary symptoms tend to play havoc with minds but on a different level.
Ganapathi Bhat, Akola
Be prepared for a third wave
Amidst deepening of corona virus and breaking news of deaths, during conversation with a local elderly man on pandemic, he had shot back to the past-history and said that then many deadly jhoris (diseases) had spread, thousands died on a day and mass taken for burial during night times. Then, there was no ministry to complain, the only people’s beacon hope was in God. In times of most crucial hours they used to kneel on the stones and appeal praying to God in tears to forgive their sins and save them from death after which slowly the diseases would disappear through the clear environment.
Before and after in my adult days many diseases had spread, to name one was ebola, which impacted the health of the people and had slowly disappeared leaving no wave to roll again. Following strict restrictions and SOPs the surge of corona virus had rolled back in 1st and 2nd wave and now the alarm bell cautions that a stronger 3rd wave is on the way, be prepared.
Babluis Pereira, Pomburpa
TATA Steel and Goa Inc
TATA Steel declared that they would continue to pay the salaries of their employees who succumbed to the Covid-19, including housing and medical benefits till what would have been their retirement age of 60. Further, they pledged to cover the educational costs of succumbed frontline workers till graduation.
This is commendable. Goa Inc. continued to oppose lockdown in April as they feared their migrant casual employees would return to their villages. The former was not willing to pay just 17 days daily wages, that did not include medical, leave, or housing, so as to retain them during lockdown and save hundreds of locals from succumbing to the dreaded virus.
This gesture of TATA needs to be replicated by at least those companies required to implement CSR. Note that TATA did not say they would use CSR funds.
It is doubtful Goa Inc. will match this magnanimity; it is enough if they at least change their attitude.
R Fernandes, Margao
‘Pandemic’ year for students
The Std XII board examination is a very important one (at least in our country) as it forms the basis of a student’s future career, in most cases. However, with the pandemic still raging in most parts of the country, it will not be possible to conduct the examinations without large scale compromises. Hence we may treat this academic year as a ‘Pandemic’ Year.
I would like to suggest that the examinations be modeled on the T20 format viz., limited overs (subjects and portion); limited time (1 and half hours) and a power play to favour batsmen (students must be give wide choices so as to score freely). This may seem to be trivialising, a serious academic problem, but believe me, it’s the only viable option under the circumstances.
Let me elaborate a little on my suggestion. So far as subjects are concerned, the two languages may be dispensed with, for the Science and Commerce streams, while in the Arts stream the second language may be dropped along with any other subject as per the choice of the students.
The portion too must be reduced by around 40-50% with three distinct categories of easy, medium and difficult questions. Similarly the choices too must be increased considerably so that students do not have difficulty in answering them.
We must understand that the students have suffered immensely for over a year; fatigue and stress have taken hold over them. It will be no less a crime if we put them to additional mental torture.
Robert Castellino, Calangute
Confusion over Covishield, Covaxin
The ever changing recommended time interval between the first and the second dose of Covishield vaccination is in total confusion in India. The revised time interval, however, is not applicable to Covaxin. India is currently using only these two vaccines for its inoculation programme. The gap between the two doses of Covishield vaccine has been increased for the fourth time in a row. This clearly proves that the government is putting people’s lives at risk by using them as test subjects by injecting non-proven vaccines whose trials are still incomplete. Many of us are also still confused and apprehensive about the jabs due to a lack of requisite information and peer-reviewed studies of the vaccines.
Also, when the nation continues to battle with the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, BJP MP Pragya Singh Thakur has claimed that cow urine can treat lung infection brought on by Coronavirus. What is she trying to tell us? She’s just an ordinary person and not a doctor. Does she want to kill us?
Jubel D’Cruz, Mumbai
