by Gowhar Rashid

The situation in Kashmir is not so alarming yet, what can save us from this second wave is self-protection.

Health workers extracting plasma from an individual who survived Covid-19 infection. The special camp in which cops donated their plasma was organised by SKIMS in Srinagar on July 22, 2020. KL Image: Bilal Bahadur

Covid-19 second wave was still there but was neglected by the people. As it is apparent that there is a rapid rise in coronavirus cases in India (314,835 new cases over 24 hours) according to government data, it surpassed the world’s previous highest single-day rise in cases held by the United States of America.

India also reported more than 2104 deaths, which might be less because there are that the death toll might be under-reported.

Every hospital in the public and private sector in Mumbai, and Delhi is running out of beds and ventilators as the available infrastructure has already been occupied by the patients who reported earlier. The situation in Delhi, Mumbai, and other Indian metropolitan cities is worse. It is painful, huge disturbing and heart-wrenching to see people carrying their coffins of the dead.

Does the question arises who is responsible? People’s behaviour is the major factor. State and local governments differ in their response to the pandemic. Even people differ. Some follow the SOP while some don’t even merit its consideration.

After the ministry of home affairs lifted the lockdown in India ending September 2020 people thought corona ended, it’s over it did not harm much as it was dreadful in its first wave also, but they hardly care about it. People went to large gatherings without following any damn SOP, gatherings like Kumbh Mela where people gathered in hundreds and thousands, were organized.

How did it happen? How these gatherings were allowed, why? If this won’t have been allowed, the situation won’t have been so worse as it is, right now.

What will happen if God forbid the situation to turn the same in Kashmir? There are only 208 ventilators both in public and private health care institutions in Jammu and Kashmir to meet this challenge out of which Kashmir has a total number of only 112 ventilators including 21 in a private hospital and a record 2381 people tested positive for corona in J&K with 21 fatalities.

Gowhar Rashid

We know the administration failed here in Kashmir also as public places were left open here also for locals as well tourists from all over India despite knowing the fact that Delhi, Mumbai were witnessing a spike with new Covid-19 cases.

The situation in Kashmir is not so alarming yet, what can save us from this second wave is self-protection. So let’s take the pledge to stay in, to stay safe, and to not move out unless it’s urgent and necessary. Let us follow proper SOP guidelines for our loved ones and ourselves.

(Author is a researcher with SKIMS, Soura. Ideas are personal.)

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