Just as we were beginning to get over the ‘eventful’ 2020 and embracing this year full of hope and optimism with the vaccines rolling out, the virus mutated into a more deadly form and has found its new victim: the citizens of India.

India has reported more than 300,000 new cases daily for nine days in a row and hit another global record of 386,452 on Friday. Total deaths have surpassed 200,000 and cases are nearing 19 million - nearly 8 million since February alone as virulent new strains have combined with "super-spreader" events such as political rallies and religious festivals. (Reuters, 2021).

Despite having the world’s biggest vaccine manufacturer, The Serum Institute of India, the authorities are overwhelmed by the massive population of more than 1.3 billion and reportedly less than 9% citizens have been fully vaccinated. The government of India has allowed people over 18 years of age (which was previously available for only those aged 45+) to apply for a vaccine shot from May 1 but that seems like a formality because no slots are available since almost the last 28 days due to severe shortage of supplies and raw materials. The country is completely overwhelmed by this sudden surge as  it fights hard to get the seemingly uncontrollable situation under control.

To show a heart-breaking momentary glimpse: no hospital beds are available for dying patients, the ICUs are filled up with ventilators with critical patients piled up inside whose families were able to raise enough funds for the hefty medical fees while the less fortunate are abandoned outside in the open. The deficit of oxygen cylinders is to such an extent that the desperate family members rip them off other patients who had just died to provide their loved ones with a few more breaths. No crematoriums or cemeteries are available to send off the dead with honour. Instead the bodies are disposed of in masses and incinerated in makeshift pyres without even a proper goodbye as the contaminated bodies are deemed risky.

The faltering healthcare system is buckling under this new burden of saving countless lives even though medical professionals and volunteers are working round the clock. Hospitals straight out refuse to admit patients without a positive Covid RT-PCR test turning a blind eye to their dire conditions. People despairingly wait for days to acquire a slot for just a Covid test as their health deteriorates and even then, they are not guaranteed proper medical care in a hospital and die in ambulances or worse - open streets , in both rural and urban areas alike.

Social media is flooding with urgent requests from frantic family and friends asking the common people for assistance and sharing their grievances against the authorities in charge who are unable to do so. People are connected to suppliers and informed about vacancies in hospitals through the web. New organizations are forming everyday as people pool their resources to contribute for those in need. Several international celebrities have shown their concern and have urged their fans to donate by setting an example themselves. After the Prime Minister’s appeal, various nations have stepped forward to assist this dying country by sending financial and medical aid yet this inferno of disease is not dwindling.

India is distressed and in dire need of all the help she can get. The smallest act of kindness and charity can bring about a substantial change. Even a paltry donation or assistance is enough to save a precious soul of a fellow human. Together, let us listen to the tender, sympathetic voice inside us that beseeches our compassion and wish for the situation to get better while taking all the necessary precautions ourselves and educating the ones around us.

Verified organizations to donate to:

• Covid Relief India by BTS ARMY

• PM CARES Fund - PM's Citizen Assistance & Relief in Emergency Situations Fund

• Support Swasth & ACT Grants to procure Oxygen concentrators for India

• India Needs Oxygen

• Mission Oxygen- Helping Hospitals Save Lives

• Help patients breathe as they battle COVID

• KhaanaChahiye: Mumbai is battling hunger along with Covid-19. Again.

• Support COVID-19 Coronavirus Pandemic Response in India – Give2Asia

• Donate to Covid Relief Fund for India

References

Lead Image: Qadri, A. (2021, April 28). Shocking Pictures Show Mass Covid Cremations In India. [Photograph].  Outlook India. https://www.outlookindia.com/photos/photoessay/shocking-pictures-show-mass-covid-cremations-in-india/2752