THURSDAY, APRIL 25, 2024
R Fernandes
With the commencement of vaccinating the frontline health workers in India, we seem to have relaxed to the point that now all is well! Goa still loses 2 people every alternate day with 784 being the current shame. We attribute this to fate? Look at it as it is: laissez faire!
By setting objectives, all have a clear picture of the goal and will work towards the same. If by ensuring ‘the show must go on’ will meet the objectives, then it can go on. One must take the responsibilities.
Currently Goa must set objective 1: Covid deaths must not cross the 790 mark till all get vaccinated.
The Collector must hold all the objectives as his responsibility: he can pass the same down to others he may deem fit. Let all the IAS Officers earn their paid holiday in Goa. So, what action must he take? He must decide after meeting all concerned Doctors, Mamlatdars etc. and analysing the facts. Is it the elderly people who succumb? Or the comorbid ones? Then pass appropriate orders. All elderly must wear N95 masks and restrict movements outside. Their families must restrict their outside contacts. Ensure they get a proper immunity booster: Vitamins D, C and zinc. If required, check all above 60 for Vitamin D levels or ensure they get a daily dose of the sun: make a regimen. Publicly declare that with the imminent availability of vaccines for all, people must become more cautious then in April 2020. Brainstorm. Make use of the fact that Goa is a small region.
Objective 2: Ensure a better quality of life for the recovered Covid warriors. From the above meetings, analyse the health of the recovered patients. We know that many still suffer lung damage and heart problems. Prepare a regimen for such people. Many will require oxygen therapy: how to provide the same? Screen all who had high pressure before the Covid and others too?
Objective 3: Set a target date for completion of vaccination for all health workers. Date must be fixed based on the number of administrators and output of each. Target must be to utilise 95% of availability. Crash the date: what is required? Vaccine administrators? How do we increase the number? Training new people? Who will train? Or, requisition all private Doctors and Nurses to compulsorily provide 4 hours duty per day. The IMA has done practically nothing in the pandemic. Unless you consider vaccinating their members' home people and relatives, out of turn, as an achievement.
Objective 4: Set a target date to complete vaccinating the general public. Make a written paper classifying different categories of people. Those that need to be observed after the first shot must have adequate arrangements made. Again the target date must be based on the number of administrators available. After the first date arrived at, consider crashing the same to half the time. What additional resources are required? Nurses? Make a plan, execute and monitor. Decide with the Doctors: can volunteers be trained?
Working in the air is not working. The pandemic, even today, is a national calamity and must be treated as such. The administration must work on a war footing. Sadly, elections are a priority. Many villagers refused to vote till they got roads tarred! They know their priorities.
