Even more than supply, oxygen is a crisis of logistics. With limited availability, reaching the needed volumes to the hospitals where shortages are foreseen will make the difference between life and death. This particular responsibility should be handed over to the Army. Delhi to begin with. Nobody understands logistics better.
Modi must ask Biden for vaccine support. Strategic allies shouldn’t dump you during crisis
When US was in a Covid wave, Donald Trump called Narendra Modi for emergency supplies of the yet unproven Hydroxychloroquine. It’s time Modi called Joe Biden to lift ban on exporting critical vaccine raw materials to India. What are strategic allies for if they dump you in the gravest crisis.
Covid crisis can’t be solved by social media, courts. Delhi needs war room for hospital needs
Delhi immediately needs a war room with staff from central and state governments, under one empowered leader. The one go-to place for hospitals for emergency needs, from oxygen to drugs and testing kits. A crisis as dangerous and complex as this can’t be resolved on social media or in courts.
Delhi is the Home Ministry’s responsibility. Fortunately there is a lot of redundancy built into government. There is a Secretary in charge of Border Management, who must have a lot of time on his hands. Invoking the full power and clout of his ministry, he could head this War Room. 2. The emasculation of the Delhi government is most unfortunate. This is something one of the senior officers in Delhi administration ought to have been doing.
The United States has adequate stocks of vaccine to inoculate all adults. Only 1% of Africans have been inoculated. India’s monthly production of 160 million doses – meant for both domestic and export obligations – will grind to a halt if raw materials do not come from the US. This is one occasion when, without any conflict of interest, Indian Americans should use their influence to nudge the Biden administration into doing the right thing by India.
The armed forces are the sword and shield of India. When the chips are down, they deliver. If they can move Medical Oxygen more efficiently across the country, starting with Delhi, it will be a labour of love for them. They have also placed their considerable medicare facilities at the government’s disposal for the pandemic, although, with the threat on the borders not having receded completely, they need to keep their reserves intact. 2. We will hang anyone who seeks to impede the movement of oxygen into Delhi. Those heartfelt words from the Delhi High Court underline how terrible the situation has become. Many honourable high courts are making their presence felt. CJI Bobde should have patted them on the back.