Who is at fault?
Inspite of Opposition parties, social activists, social media, print media and even local writers like me requesting our government to restrict and check our borders, it all fell on deaf ears. Maharashtra is doing good job by checking the inflow at their borders but our Goa is leaving our borders wide open for one and all to enter Goa irrespective of them being positive or negative.
Everybody knows that Covid cases are out of control in Maharashtra and how can Goa afford to allow people from our neighbouring states to enter without any checking and restrictions? 10pm to 6am curfew is the only solution? Goans are dying and our leaders are busy canvassing for municipal elections. What a disgrace. It seems nobody is serious this time about Covid cases.
Even at the centre Prime minister and home minister both are busy canvassing for elections inspite of India facing shortage of oxygen. It is seen chief minister’s of different states begging with the centre to supply oxygen to stop deaths due to non-availability of oxygen in the hospitals, even doctors were seen literally crying and begging for oxygen.
Does Goa Government have enough oxygen to meet the demand? And if the same oxygen problem arises in Goa than who is to be blame? Who is at fault?
Natividade Fernandes, Cavelossim
Death of patients in fire accidents
It is learnt that fourteen COVID-19 patients died after a fire broke out at the intensive care unit of a private hospital at Virar in Palghar district of Maharashtra on Friday. While 13 were charred to death in the ICU, one patient reportedly died while being taken to another hospital. It is understood that the other patients in the hospital were not affected as the damage was confined to the ICU. The Maharashtra Home Ministry has ordered an in-depth probe in the fire incident.
It may be recalled that at least four patients, including a woman died after a massive fire broke out at a hospital in West Nagpur earlier this month. The hospital is treating COVID-19 patients. The four patients who died were in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and died of asphyxiation. This incident in Nagpur comes a month after a fire broke out at a Mumbai hospital where several patients being treated for COVID-19 were killed.
While India is witnessing several deaths due to the second wave of the coronavirus, the deaths of many COVID-19 patients in fire incidents reported in the hospitals only adds to the grim atmosphere prevailing in the country.
Adelmo Fernandes, Vasco
Second wave far more dangerous
The second wave of the Coronavirus which is far more lethal than the first one, is creating havoc in the country. Hence, we must strictly follow the Covid protocols. The virus that causes Covid-19 can spread from person to person even before the symptoms could occur.
So if you or someone in your family starts to feel slightly Ill, run down, tired or achy, it is important to stay at home and practice self-isolation. If more symptoms occur, like a fever, cough or shortness of breath, call your doctor as Coronavirus is more dangerous than AIDS and cancer.
In fact, it is here to stay and will never go away.
Jubel D’Cruz, Mumbai
Can curfew stop the Covid-19?
The alarming rate of Covid-19 cases reported in Goa and the whole country is very disturbing signs. The PM’s address to the nation, in the wake of second wave cannot stop the Covid-19 surge as when the cases were rising our PM and Home minister were addressing rallies and roadshows in poll bound states.
What is more important I feel is the ground reality in instilling confidence in the citizens to stay at home and observe all the restrictions required in preventing the virus and providing all the medical facilities such as hospitals, beds, oxygen, medicines etc to the Covid-19 pandemic patients which is lacking at the moment.
If we see the positive rate increasing at a alarming than we may not find hospitals for the patients and they will have to stay at home and get treated themselves.
The night curfew will have no impact on the spreading Covid-19 cases as during day time there will be free movement on the roads and markets and supermarkets and during the night there is hardly any crowd except on beaches, clubs, casinos and bars. This curfew should have been imposed much earlier we would have not have had so many cases per day which is much higher than the first wave but anyway better late than never.
Even when the curfew is imposed by the government allowing the elections of municipalities to go on as per schedule is suicidal and may be for the same reason night curfew is imposed and not lockdown clearly shows that the government is more interested in holding elections and not trying to prevent the virus from spreading and risking the lives of five towns and two wards of village panchayats.
Diomedes Pereira, Corlim
Conduct poll rallies by video conferencing
The recent spike in COVID-19 cases has put our lives in danger. It is imminent that during such a peak period where one is witnessing fatalities owing to COVID-19, the election rallies are in full swing. The Election Commission of India should impose a model code of conduct and bring COVID-19 under its purview while considering the people’s health and safety are a paramount factor.
ECI should instead focus on imposing innovative election campaign trails including conducting rallies through a video conferencing mode. ECI should immediately revoke all the election campaigns in the physical mode for the remaining elections. No political party should be allowed to gather crowds but instead use technology and video conferencing as a mode to appeal to voters.
Varun Dambal,
Bangalore
Keep Sarzora’s environment
Sarzora has a unique picturesque lake with a lush green mountain as its backdrop a biodiversity hotspot where peacocks, foxes, king cobras, mongoose, wild cats, deer are often sited
This is part of the range of the western Ghats, it is a pity that people are building houses at the foothill and are making inroads into forested land destroying the environment and ecology, monetary assets will be worthless for our younger generation without salubrious environment. We need to breathe clean air to prevent pandemics.
A Furtado, Chinchinim
Pressing problems during pandemic
If the great Indian lockdown about preparing the health system, then shouldn’t the nation have been served a graph of additional hospital beds, ventilators, oxygen capacity and the like to keep the citizens informed of the work being done to prepare the worst.
Having treated the first lockdown in a most fitting way, the slackness appears to be a disaster in the form of several deaths. Non-availability of hospital beds and other urgent medical needs, we are left with the increase in Covid-19 deaths.
Having witnessed pile of bodies and the lack of infrastructure for cremation, there is a long wait for the patient’s relatives to wait in the crematorium and expose themselves during such torrid time. If you watch the main road, you can find ambulances plying every single minute upsetting your state of mind. It is our own making and there is no immediate solution to the pressing problem.
C K Subramaniam, Navi Mumbai
