FRIDAY, APRIL 19, 2024
A good samaritan during Covid-19
As Goa lost good amount of family members, we and few lucky across Goa met a Good Samaritan who had so much of time, patience and energy for free on his hand. None other than Gaston Dias, a redt director of New York University, our own Goan from Sarzora, presently living in Mumbai.
I can confidently say, life would not be easy if my friends and relatives were not introduced to Gaston. At first, with his fluency, courage and knowledge of handling Covid-19 quarantine patients through tele-consulting, once diagnosed as Covid-19 +ve, Dias was cross checking if best practices are followed of treating the virus in time, examining the Covid-19 kit, reconcile the prescribed medicines, check that the medicines are administered in time, check oxymeter parameters, breathing and light exercises, diet and the dos and don'ts during the quarantine period''. Tirelessly Gaston's accepts the day to day status calls, 24/7.
Later it was overwhelming to discover that he took care of 16 patients in Goa since April 15, 2021 until date to good success.
As I conclude, being of our own Goan and showing humanity, our prayers will always be there with Gaston Dias to keep up the good work as we need more and more Good Samaritans in this challenging pandemic time.
Epsy Sales Gracias, Canacona
Was ‘tika utsav a success?
The response to the government's ‘Tika Utsav’ has been positively underwhelming to say the least with most vaccination sites inoculating less than 40 persons; betraying a lack of effort, strategy or interest on part of the sarkar to push this campaign. Had there been elections scheduled, they would have gone door to door to vaccinate citizens, even the reluctant vaxxers would have been pulled out of their homes and administered the jab.
Booth level officers, ward representatives and village panchayat members were not kept in the loop and a belated announcement of the drive without taking local bodies into confidence resulted in this fiasco.
Despite having the entire State machinery at their disposal the govt made a mess of things. The government could have roped in ground level balwadi and aanganwadi workers, NGOs, civil society volunteers and other contracted health department officials on their rolls to spread the word and make this Utsav a success.
Vinay Dwivedi, Benaulim
Who is listening to the Middle Class?
This has reference to the editorial ‘Middle class honest tax payers still await govt's attention, 7 years on’ (Herald, May 31, 2021). Congratulatory messages for completing 7 years? Looking at the depressing scenario in the country today however, one begins to wonder, has anything changed in 7 years, except change for the worse?
The Editorial rightly states, middle class honest tax payers still await the government's attention, 7 years on. Seven years - where has it left the honest, middle class tax payers? But, come to think of it, these so-called Middle class taxpayers constitute a miniscule percentage of the total population. So, do you matter, middle class citizens? You are nobody to expect anything in return.
The BJP President J P Nadda has suggested welfare schemes for the common man. He has made an interesting point when he called on his cadres to reach out to one lakh villages which are badly affected by Covid. And the reason according to the editorial being, the ruling party had received maximum support from them in the last general rejection in 2019. Elections are due in several States in the very near future, so naturally, one needs to build up their vote banks. The honest, middle class tax payer can continue to cry hoarse, they can continue to cry for attention, but who will listen to them?
Melville X D'Souza, Mumbai
Vax preference: jungle law!
The low income and marginalised people have always suffered in all spheres including vaccination preferences! From GCCI to Sea Fares Unions to Courts of Law - jungle law rules in modern civilization.
Most deplorable considering, we have advanced tools like AI, Data mining, Risk Management etc. yet allow ‘lobbying’ to take precedence. Amazing is the unashamedly way this is publicly taken suggesting we are a breed of ‘humanity’(?) that considers such behaviour as civilized! Whither NHRC/GHRC?
Developing (too high sounding) a simple formula with weighted parameters where risk to life has maximum weight, and ‘profits’ the least, is no rocket science. In between comes issues like what control is in the hands of the group - a bus commuter has no control on the social distancing/mask wearing, while grocers/restaurants have full control. Then let each of these vociferous groups ‘weigh’ themselves in this formula and free up a vast amount of printed and social media space.
Who must be responsible for this? Vaccine is a scarce resource today and allowing private entities like hospitals to administer the same with a higher margin is a disaster that will ensure further misery to the marginalised.
Cancer patients are at high risk. When undergoing chemo/radiation, their immunity is very low and they cannot take the vaccine. The Task Force must ensure they have contact with TATA Hospital for guidance on the same and ensure these high-risk warriors get the best possible vaccine.
Oxygen concentrators must be given to every such fighter, now. In between these crucial periods, the home people of these warriors and their caregivers must be vaccinated. Like them there are other vulnerable groups dialysis patients? HIV? Street walkers?
R Fernandes, Margao
Death trap to regularise unauthorised structures
Issuing house numbers to unauthorised dwelling houses will be a death trap. There are many illegal houses constructed on their land without any permissions/NOC from the competent authorities, commonly seen in Goa under village panchayats. And these dwelling houses are rented to the migrants or non-Goans without any proof. To save their pockets they do not realise to go through all the necessary registration and hence go on making an illegal construction. And also loss of revenues to the government.
Other main causes of illegal construction are poverty and urbanisation. Illegal construction not only blocks the land in an illegal manner but also becomes a threat of life for the people living out there. Instead of demolishing the illegal and unauthorised houses, by issuing house numbers will occur serious consequences and will be the road for others for illegal constructions. If civic bodies conduct a survey most of the illegal constructions will be found. Illegal constructions in panchayat areas happen most of the time with the blessings of members of civic bodies. The immediate action by the panchayat could stall any illegality in its jurisdiction.
K G Vilop, Chorao
Chelsea deserve praise for CL win
Kudos to Chelsea on beating Manchester City and covering themselves with glory in the Champions League on Saturday.
The Blues won the League for the second time with a first-half strike by Havertz, who ran on to Mason Mount’s perfectly-weighted through-ball and skipped City goalkeeper Ederson Moraes, before slotting the ball into an empty net.
It has been a dream run for Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel who took over charge just four months ago but steered his side into the top four of the Premier League, reached the FA Cup final and now outclassed City to reclaim the Champions League. Way to go!
N J Ravi Chander, Bengaluru
