High time to Accept the Failure in COVID-19 Management and Surrender to the Centre
Port Blair, Aug 14: Truth will always remain ‘Truth’ even if somebody prefers to close their eyes and spread false. This is the case in A&N Islands wherein the official data on COVID-19 released by the Andaman Administration has been tailored in such a way that ‘truth’ about the number of cases and ‘deaths’ have been projected as per the convenience of the Administration.
While the Administration has been playing on the COVID-19 data, they fail to understand that the number of deaths in a small place like A&N Islands cannot be hidden, like in the mainland India. Over the past couple of days, there have been atleast three deaths in South Andaman and also in North & Middle Andaman District. Moreover, there have been corona cases recorded in Car Nicobar and in Campbell Bay. In spite of this, the concerned authorities have preferred to circulate a COVID-19 Bulletin, which seems to have been prepared in some Air Conditioned Chamber. The number of deaths haven’t crossed the figure of 21 till 13th August 2020 officially and there are no cases reported in the Nicobar District.
People fail to understand as to what the Administration will achieve by projecting tailored data. When it comes to the population, the A&N Islands is ranking on the top when compared to other UTs and States in India. The health sector in A&N Islands has collapsed to such an extent that the Administration has been forced to hire additional manpower to manage. There are shortage of Doctors, Nurses, Pharmacists, Sanitation Staffs and much more in the present scenario. COVID has not even spared the Police personnel. God forbid, there shouldn’t be a situation wherein the A&N Police should be forced to recruit part time employees.
Test reports of COVID-19 takes more than a week, and is a major cause of concern now. While the tests are done, people are forced to continue with their duties or stay at home, thereby increasing the chances of spreading the virus.
Is it not high time for the A&N Administration to accept the ground reality and call in for the Centre’s assistance? What the people of A&N Islands require is a proper management with well qualified experts, adequate protective gears, medicines and well equipped Covid Care Centres, which at present seems a distant dream. The mismanagement of COVID-19 in the A&N Islands has already caused many lives including youngsters and even a child. It can only be hoped that the policy makers in the A&N Administration would realize that they are not just bureaucrats but humans too and have their loved ones waiting at home.