Wake up Health Ministry
After Monday’s press briefing by the CM Health minister, Dean GMC and other top Goa health officials, Goans may get the picture that like Covid 19 wave one and two, Goa’s govt and health ministry are still lax and not so serious about the impending third wave.
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The body language of the Dean and Health ministers is exactly the same as it was during March 2021 when the Delta variant hit Goa leading to Oxygen deaths at GMC.
The Leader of Opposition and opposition parties are too scared or too compromised to open their mouths about Goa’s healthcare mismanagement or lack of application read ability to provide good governance and healthcare management.
Thousands of Goans, including children, women and senior citizens are down with the virus or local flu which is spreading at a rapid pace, thanks to Govt lethargy to impose strict regulations at schools, churches, temples, mosques, etc. The worse is massively crowded election campaigns.
The same scenario is unfurling again in 2022. The health authorities are still harping about the vaccine, which may be a booster for human immunity, but yet to be proved that it is the only effective protection shield against the raging virus. The Goa govt, including the Health ministry which has proved to be an utter failure for Goans, must at least now learn from past mistakes if not the rapid spread of the virus will put untold pressure on the healthcare infrastructure and may result in loss of innocent civilian life. The public too has to be responsible. This is not the time for partying, socialising and get togethers, nor to celebrate feasts and festivals inviting mass public.
I hope the heads of departments in govt offices, schools, places of worship and others, ensure not to invite crowds. Everything can wait, and if we cannot learn to restrain now, things may turn from bad to worse soon. May better sense prevail.
Cedric da Costa, Margao
Vaccines protect the affected
Seventy per cent of Covid mortalities recorded in Goa over the past week were found to be unvaccinated, this scenario is being played out pan India and also across the globe with minor variations. WHO data overwhelmingly suggests that vaccines might not be the silver bullet against the virus but they definitely shield you against pulmonological complications, morbid transmissibility, reinfection, intensive hospitalisation and death.
This should convince anti vaxxers and the fence sitters to go in for the jab, for by doing this they would not only be protecting themselves but also others proximal to them. Novak Djokovic and others of his ilk, are you listening?
Rekha Sarin, Benaulim
Stop politics from entering sports
Virat Kohli’s resignation from the captaincy has been in the works for a while now giving his souring relationship with the BCCI; although he may have resigned of his own accord but circumstances were created which pushed him into a corner and he had no other option left. Perhaps his growing unpopularity with a vocal section of rabid right wingers stemming from his advocacy of a cracker free Diwali and his standing up for teammate Shami when the latter was communally trolled would have contributed to the victory of mediocre self interest over the stellar integrity of talent.
A go getting inspirational leader like no other who led from the front, gave 200% of himself on the field and with an incredible track record of 40 victories in 68 tests as captain has been felled by the BCCI, headed by the son of the Union Home minister who I doubt has even lifted a bat in his life. Machiavellian tactics, the likes of which have never been seen before have been introduced into cricket administration to exercise political control of BCCI which is one of the richest sports bodies in the world.
At a time when the team was doing well, an absolutely inept administrator aided by a pliable former captain has thoroughly messed things up, these machinations would sound the death knell of cricket in India and might lead one of the greatest cricketers India has ever seen to quit the game altogether, that would be a sad day indeed for genuine lovers of the gentleman ‘s game.
Vinay Dwivedi, Benaulim
Understanding Mother Nature
The recent snowstorm in Pakistan’s Murree that had killed over 23 people has caught the international attention. First off, it seems that many innocent people were not aware of the ongoing snowfall spell out there in the Murree area in months like January. Authorities should have alerted them to impending danger ahead. Remember, Asian countries like Pakistan, Nepal and India have been tucked in the middle of the beautiful Himalayan range.
The East or the West, Mother Nature has been giving numerous gifts to the world especially in the form of rain that will enrich earth and hence humanity. On the other hand, it is important to keep tabs on rough weather patterns.
Quite amazingly, be it the sky or earth, the whole universe has been acting like a safety net, providing natural gifts like rain and sunlight to humans. Added to this, understanding Mother Nature and safeguarding Mother Earth will help prevent erratic behaviour of Nature in future.
That said, keeping the environment clean and encouraging green activities like tree planting are all the steps in the right direction towards saving Mother Earth.
P Senthil Saravana Durai, Mumbai
Stop candidates with criminal records
With the announcement of elections, the activities of political parties are in full gear. One is trying to outsmart the other, in the process the electorate is confused. Whom to believe and who not to is the question. The leaders are jumping from one party to another and this makes the situation more confusing.
The Congress had many deserters and they came out with a plan to field all new candidates with clean record. Tuesday’s Herald reports the number of persons who have criminal records. The Election Commission should take note of this and should not accept their nominations.
There are many prominent persons in this list, who have been playing with public votes and trust. If these persons are debarred from contesting, then only Goa will see a stable and clean government. I hope better sense will prevail and the authorities will act as it should be.
Antonio F Fernandes, Arossim
Election fever is confusing voters
Election fever is getting hotter and hotter these days as the election date is approaching closer. Present MLAs continue jumping from one party to another as full list of candidates is not disclosed yet by any political party. This type of political drama was never seen in any of the previous Assembly elections. People are confused. Democracy means power to the people to elect their representative who will fight for them in the assembly.
This time Goans should not make any mistakes. Now is the time to elect new parties and new faces who are well educated and with good vision. We do not want to see anymore seventh passed education ministers and eight passed PWD ministers. All those who are with criminal records should be sent home.
We ourselves are to be blamed for electing wrong people all these years. Let us not repeat this again. Let us send home the politicians with criminal records, not educated, who switched sides, who indulged in family Raj, and also those who have enjoyed several terms. Let’s hope this New Year 2022 brings us good, honest and non corrupt government with new educated faces. Let’s hope for the best and it is in our hands. Let’s all vote wisely.
Natividade Fernandes, Cavelossim
