By Glenn C Kharkongor
Who knows if this is the mid-point of the Covid crisis? But we’re at the junction between lockdown and unlock, so a good time to do some stock-taking. Are there any lessons to be learned, that will help us on the onward journey? Almost every agency, institution and citizen is a stakeholder, and one way of working in tandem is to keep watch over each other. There is no escape from a systems approach, and any organization or person that strikes out on its own will rock the boat.
Government
The central and state governments have managed the health crisis quite well, given India’s high population and disparate regions. Declaring a disaster situation early and the follow-up lockdown were decisive actions.
Where the government failed was in the anticipation and management of the social and economic fallout. Declaring a lockdown with only four hours notice was a dangerously precipitous move. Once the volcano erupted, it could not be contained. The government looked, helpless, confused, inept, even heartless, as millions of migrant labourers took to the roads. The financial schemes and full-page ads were unconvincing. The vast exodus led to a spike in Covid cases over the entire country. Worst of all, the collateral deaths are incalculable. This illustrates very vividly how rules and guidelines can unravel when they collide with real life.
The main spokesperson for the government is the Indian Council of Medical Research, an astute move. Even the Ministry of Health stayed in the background and Niti Aayog made a few missteps. The ICMR has been on top of the situation, most of the time. But the management of administrative communication has been poor. India’s bureaucrats issued well over 4,000 different rules during the first two months of lockdown, a morass of orders that added to the confusion. One journalist has described it as management by red tape.
There was no option but to release the lockdown. India is one of the few countries in which restrictions have been unlocked, even in the face of Covid cases rising daily. In most parts of the country, workplaces and commercial establishments are open. On June 15, the local trains in Mumbai, one of the worst hit cities by Covid, started moving, even as India recorded a daily high of 11,929 cases. The graph will spike again and again, but these are correct decisions in the balance of options.
Judiciary
The courts, especially the Supreme Court have been exemplary. Numerous statements and judgements exemplify their grasp of reality. They have supported the government’s strategy, by and large, in dealing with the pandemic. The Madhya Pradesh High Court upheld the government’s order prohibiting disclosure of identity of Covid-19 positive patients. The Delhi High Court slapped a fine of Rs 20,000 on a on a petitioner who had challenged the Centre’s decision to relax the nationwide lockdown.
The Supreme Courts genuine concern for migrant labourers and other victims shone through in several orders. It ordered a time-bound schedule to help workers reach home. It ordered the government to take up the full refund of cancelled tickets with the airlines. It refused to take action against private companies who could not pay full salary to employees, and asked the finance ministry to take up the waiver on loans with the Reserve Bank of India.
Media and social media
The TV channels are a mixed bag. It is pointless to comment on shrieking anchors who thrive on sensation, zooming into controversial waters. Bland and balanced analysis is a rarity. But TV succeeded in highlighting the plight of migrant labourers, bringing their distress into living rooms, drawing the attention of the world and prodding a sluggish government.
The print media, has by and large, walked a straight line, balancing their critique with recognition of the difficulties that governments face. Coverage of the plight of victims has been fused with empathy. The headlines have been supported by infographics, which bring focus and immediacy. Rarely have there been lapses into hyperbole.
Many in the social media have taken off, running on tangential forays into conspiracy theories. The one that seems to have gained the most traction is the 5G radiofrequency (RF) waves, which is a non-ionizing radiation and harmless compared to ionizing radiation, such as x-rays. In some right wing circles, there is denial that there is Covid at all, or that it was created by Anthony Fauci.
A proponent of the 5G conspiracy is Dr Rashid Ali Buttar, a Pakistani born osteopath and anti-vaccine crusader in the US. He has twice been reprimanded by the medical licensing board for improper treatment of patients, and use of adulterated drugs. Buttar claims several qualifications which are listed as “questionable ” by Quackwatch, a professional monitoring organization.There are enough delirious followers to post his frequent and dangerous rants.
Citizen response
Citizen responsibility has been a mixed bag. There have been regions where citizen compliance and cooperation have been exemplary like Kerala. In cities like Mumbai and Bangalore, the residential areas have seen self-imposed restrictions by apartment complexes and citizen groups. But crowding invariably happens in slums, market areas and bus and railway stations. And everywhere, there are the unheeding devil-may-care types who make good citizens despair. The behaviour of the poor, however, deserves empathy, not condemnation.
In this age of internet, open access journals and public discussion, everyone has become an expert. While we must be well-informed citizens, an assumption of expertise is hazardous. The authors of some letters and articles in the media even put their degrees and brief biodata, indicating that they are well-educated and highly intelligent. It’s not the same thing as being an expert. It’s harmless if everyone has an opinion about the cricket team, but matters of health are different. Because Covid knowledge is incomplete and evolving, anyone can latch on to something that supports his/her pet opinion, and trumpet it as scientific.
There are two kinds of specialists whose expertise is paramount in viral outbreaks: epidemiologists who know about patterns of disease and virologists who track virus behaviour. While not perfectly predictive, their generic knowledge comes in handy when dealing with a new viral disease. Even medical specialists discuss differential diagnosis and seek second opinions. But if I wanted to invest my money I would go to a broker, rather than to an architect, never mind how smart he is.
By and large, India has depended on the advice of ICMR and other epidemiologists and they have got it mostly right. It’s the political and administrative decisions that have sometimes faltered.
Church
As usual, whenever there is a crisis, the church is conspicuously absent from the scene. A few donations come in and a few individual churches or Good Samaritans proffer some community aid, but a systemic response has never been forthcoming, whether from a single denomination or from the collective church community. Some years ago, in Kenya, the church used its reach in every village to distribute mosquito nets, logistics that even the government could not muster. There are many silent epidemics such as single mothers, stunted children, and teenager dropouts, in which the church could contribute immensely.
Meghalaya
Our state government has done a good job, given the inherent difficulties of dealing with a disaster situation. But the decision-making has not been free of political expediency. Certain businesses like coal and liquor appear to have been favored. In the face of pressure groups, non-tribals have not been adequately protected.
Communication with the citizenry gets low marks. Public pronouncements have been monopolized by the chief minister and his deputy, and there have been mis-statements, back-tracking, and amateurish explanations. Hardly have we heard from a health expert. Even Trump, with his muddled press conferences has a health expert standing by. The recent interview, featured on the front page of the Shillong Times, with the health secretary, Sampath Kumar, was refreshing. His detailed answers gave us a clear update of the Covid situation in the state.