Medical journal slams Indian government for ‘squandering’ early success on Covid-19

More than 900,000 Covid-19 patients in India are on oxygen support — about a quarter of all active cases — and a further 170,000 are on ventilators, the country’s health minister, Harsh Vardhan, said Saturday. India has a test positivity rate of about 22%, according to Johns Hopkins University, meaning it is likely not capturing all Covid-19 cases.

India has now recorded 242,362 Covid-19 deaths — the third-highest death toll in the world. The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington estimates that by August, India may have reached 1 million deaths.

“If that outcome were to happen, (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi’s Government would be responsible for presiding over a self-inflicted national catastrophe,” the Lancet editorial warned.

‘Inexcusable’ actions

According to the Lancet editorial, India “squandered its early successes” in controlling Covid-19.

The government failed by giving the public the impression the country had beaten the virus, which encouraged complacency and insufficient preparation, and slowed the start of the country’s “botched” vaccination campaign, according to the editorial. Despite warning about “the risks of superspreader events,” religious festivals and political rallies were allowed to go ahead.

“Modi’s actions in attempting to stifle criticism and open discussion during the crisis are inexcusable,” the editorial said.

The editorial urged India to increase vaccine supply and work to create an equitable distribution system of the vaccine. As of Saturday evening local time, 35 million people in India had received their second dose, meaning about 2.7% of India’s 1.3 billion population are fully vaccinated, according to a press release issued by the health ministry.

It also urged India to publish accurate data, expand genomic testing and explain to the public the necessity of wearing masks, social distancing, halting mass gatherings, voluntary quarantine and testing.

The editorial noted that until April, the government’s Covid-19 taskforce had not met in months.

“The consequences of that decision are clear before us, and India must now restructure its response while the crisis rages,” the editorial said. “The success of that effort will depend on the government owning up to its mistakes, providing responsible leadership and transparency, and implementing a public health response that has science at its heart.”

Oxygen availability

The task force has been set up to give central government input and strategies for meeting the challenges of the pandemic, according to a court order released Saturday.

“The rationale for constituting a Task Force at a national level is to facilitate a public health response to the pandemic based on scientific and specialized domain knowledge,” the order said, adding that it expected leading experts. “This will facilitate a meeting of minds and the formulation of scientific strategies to deal with an unprecedented human crisis.”

Members include senior health professionals, academics and government officials.

Based on the order, the terms of reference are to “assess and make recommendations for the entire country based on the need for, availability and distribution of medical oxygen” as well as to determine the amount of medical oxygen to be allocated to states and union territories on a “scientific, rational and equitable basis.”