THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The battle against the dreaded corona virus is far from over. There is still a long way to go. But there is no denying the gains Kerala has made in the relentless fight against the virus.
The achievements first. There has been a marked decline in fresh covid cases. Also, the number of people under observation has also come down. Out of over 1. 7 lakh people under observation, 30,000 have managed to come out. Moreover, recoveries have been more than fresh cases in the last few days.
Last but not the least, the last of the seven UK nationals who had been hospitalized has been discharged. They are now awaiting the flight back home. And all of them have lavished praise on the State Government and the doctors and nurses who treated them. The treatment given to them was excellent, gushed the British citizens.
The achievements have earned Kerala and its Government all-round praise. No less a person than Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla is all praise for the way Kerala has handled an extremely difficult situation. Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba identified himself with the sentiments expressed by the Speaker. He has, in fact, gone to the extent of suggesting that other States should follow the Kerala Model in the fight against covid-19. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Health Minister K K Shailaja and the dedicated team of doctors, nurses and other hospital staff deserve full credit for the State’s achievements in the battle which humanity cannot afford to lose.
The latest to shower praise on Kerala is the top US daily Washington Post. It says Kerala model should be followed by all countries. The State, the paper says, has done an excellent job in containing spread of the dreaded virus.
But it is also a fact that this is no time to rest on your laurels. The challenges ahead are daunting. The real test will come when the lockdown is lifted in a phased manner. It is clear that restrictions will – and must – continue. Strictest vigilance will have to be maintained. Otherwise, the hard-earned gains will be undone. This is also in line with the directions of the World Health Organisation (WHO), which has warned against immediate lifting of restrictions.
The Kerala Government deserves a special word of praise for the manner in which it has responded to Karnataka’s inhuman act in denying access to people in Kasaragod district to hospitals in Mangalore. Despite the intervention of the Supreme Court, Karnataka continues to stop patients wanting to go to Mangalore for treatment. As many as 12 patients have already lost their lives because of Karnataka’s unspeakable cruelty.
True, Karnataka has opened the interstate border with Kasaragod. But it has imposed several conditions. And the unkindest cut is that it has stipulated that patients can be treated only at the KS Hegde hospital in Datalakkatte and not in hospitals in Mangalore!
In glaring contrast, Kerala has allowed patents from Bairakuppe panchayat in Mysore district – a covid hotspot – to seek treatment in hospitals in Mananthawady and Kalpeta in Wayanad district on the Kerala side. No amount of praise will be too high for Wayanad Collector Abdullah who graciously allowed the patients from Karnataka to avail of hospital facilities in Wayanad district. More than 100 patients have already been benefited by the gesture of warm humanity on the Collector’s part. In a humane rebuff, Kerala has shown Karnataka what humanity is all about.
In another move to reduce Kasaragod’s dependence on hospitals in Mangalore, Kerala Government has decided to convert the Kasaragod Medical College Hospital into a full-fledged covid hospital. To start with, it will have 200 beds and 10 ICUs.. In the second phase, 100 more beds and 10 more ICUs will be added.
In another fine gesture, the Kerala Chief Minister has said that critically ill covid patients in Kasaragod will be airlifted to hospitals in other parts of the State, if necessary. This has come as a big relief to worried people of Kasaragod district.
Kerala has also become the first state in the country to be allowed to go for plasma therapy to counter corona virus. In the method, plasma of cured patients will be used to treat seriously ill covid patients. The Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute of Science and Technology in Thiruvananthapuram has been permitted by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) to conduct restricted trials in plasma therapy, which is expected to become a game–changer in the battle against covid 19. Besides, the Chitra Institute, five other hospitals in the State will be allowed to collect plasma from cured covid patients. A doctor of the Chitra Institute, who tested positive but recovered later, is set to become the first plasma donor in the country. (IPA Service)
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