"Need Aggressive Lockdowns To Beat 2nd Covid Wave": AIIMS Chief To NDTV
"Need Aggressive Lockdowns To Beat 2nd Covid Wave": AIIMS Chief To NDTV
Dr Guleria said the country had been caught "off guard" by the ferocity with which the virus was spreading, and that night curfews and weekend lockdowns were ineffectual
New Delhi: India’s health infrastructure is "stretched to the limit" and "aggressive lockdowns" - like the one imposed in March last year - in areas with positivity rates over 10 per cent are needed to contain the second COVID-19 wave, AIIMS chief Dr Randeep Guleria told NDTV on Saturday evening.
Dr Guleria said the country had been caught "off guard" by the ferocity with which the virus was spreading, and that night curfews and weekend lockdowns - such as those enforced by Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Haryana and other states - were proving to be ineffectual.
He also said the death of a doctor in Delhi - Dr RK Himthani was one of 12 people who died after Batra Hospital ran out of oxygen - was a personal loss as he had known him since his student days.
"That (the 12 deaths) drives home the point we need to be aggressive in containing the virus... healthcare infrastructure and workers are stretched to the limit," Dr Guleria said.
"Why is this happening? Because of continuously increasing number of cases... we have to work aggressively to bring this number down. No healthcare system in the world can manage this kind of load. The issue of aggressive containment or lockdown, or whatever, is key," he stressed.
Hours earlier Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal - whose government is battling positivity rates in excess of 30 per cent - had extended ongoing restrictions by a week.
This is the second time Dr Guleria has called for strict lockdowns in high positivity areas.
The AIIMS chief said the government had been caught off guard, and that a combination of factors were behind the spike in cases - this morning India reported over four lakh new ones in 24 hours.
"We felt confident because vaccines were coming, and cases were falling... thought Covid won’t be a problem. So, a lot of people ignored Covid behaviour... and did not really factor in infectiousness of the new strains, that it could mutate and spread like wildfire in our population," he explained.
Dr Guleria also pointed out the fallacy in hoping for ’herd immunity’, saying, "We have this feeling of ’herd immunity’ without realising that if the virus changes that immunity is not of much use."
The flood of new cases every day, he said, meant hospitals had less time to turnaround beds so new patients could be admitted, and doctors had less time to treat every patient.
On the oxygen crisis in Delhi, he called for a "central command" that would co-ordinate supply and ensure a back-up, so even if there was a delay people’s lives could be saved.
And on the current wave peaking over the next few days and weeks, Dr Guleria said he expected peaks to vary from region to region, pointing to the apparent levelling off in Maharashtra and Delhi.
He also expressed concern over a possible surge in cases in the eastern part of India, where Bengal continues to record a large number of daily cases; the state, which voted for a new government over eight contentious phases starting March 27, has over 1.13 lakh active cases.
Certain districts of the state, like 24 Parganas, are now reporting over 40 per cent positivity rate.
Please note that under 66A of the IT Act, sending offensive or menacing messages through electronic communication service and sending false messages to cheat, mislead or deceive people or to cause annoyance to them is punishable. It is obligatory on kemmannu.com to provide the IP address and other details of senders of such comments, to the authority concerned upon request. Hence, sending offensive comments using kemmannu.com will be purely at your own risk, and in no way will Kemmannu.com be held responsible.
Similarly, Kemmannu.com reserves the right to edit / block / delete the messages without notice any content received from readers.
Final Journey Of Theresa D’Souza (79 years) | LIVE From Kemmannu | Udupi |
Invest Smart and Earn Big!
Creating a World of Peaceful Stay!
For the Future Perfect Life that you Deserve! Contact : Rohan Corporation, Mangalore.
Final Journey Of Joe Victor Lewis (46 years) | LIVE From Kemmannu | Organ Donor | Udupi |
Milagres Cathedral, Kallianpur, Udupi - Parish Bulletin - Feb 2024 Issue
Easter Vigil 2024 | Holy Saturday | St. Theresa’s Church, Kemmannu, Udupi | LIVE
Way Of Cross on Good Friday 2024 | Live From | St. Theresa’s Church, Kemmannu, Udupi | LIVE
Good Friday 2024 | St. Theresa’s Church, Kemmannu | LIVE | Udupi
2 BHK Flat for sale on the 6th floor of Eden Heritage, Santhekatte, Kallianpur, Udupi
Maundy Thursday 2024 | LIVE From St. Theresa’s Church, Kemmannu | Udupi |
Kemmennu for sale 1 BHK 628 sqft, Air Conditioned flat
Symphony98 Releases Soul-Stirring Rendition of Lenten Hymn "Khursa Thain"
Palm Sunday 2024 at St. Theresa’s Church, Kemmannu | LIVE
Final Journey of Patrick Oliveira (83 years) || LIVE From Kemmannu
Carmel School Science Exhibition Day || Kmmannu Channel
Final Journey of Prakash Crasta | LIVE From Kemmannu || Kemmannu Channel
ಪ್ರಗತಿ ಮಹಿಳಾ ಮಹಾ ಸಂಘ | ಸ್ತ್ರೀಯಾಂಚ್ಯಾ ದಿಸಾಚೊ ಸಂಭ್ರಮ್ 2024 || ಸಾಸ್ತಾನ್ ಘಟಕ್
Valentine’s Day Special❤️||Multi-lingual Covers || Symphony98 From Kemmannu
Rozaricho Gaanch December 2023 issue, Mount Rosary Church Santhekatte Kallianpur, Udupi
An Ernest Appeal From Milagres Cathedral, Kallianpur, Diocese of Udupi
Diocese of Udupi - Uzvd Decennial Special Issue
Final Journey Of Canute Pinto (52 years) | LIVE From Mount Rosary Church | Kallianpura | Udupi
Earth Angels Anniversary | Comedy Show 2024 | Live From St. Theresa’s Church | Kemmannu | Udupi
Confraternity Sunday | St. Theresa’s Church, Kemmannu
Kemmannu Cricket Match 2024 | LIVE from Kemmannu
Naturya - Taste of Namma Udupi - Order NOW
New Management takes over Bannur Mutton, Santhekatte, Kallianpur. Visit us and feel the difference.
Focus Studio, Near Hotel Kidiyoor, Udupi
Earth Angels - Kemmannu Since 2023
Kemmannu Channel - Ktv Live Stream - To Book - Contact Here
Click here for Kemmannu Knn Facebook Link