When the disease was first reported from Wuhan in China there was apprehension that this would spread around the world and carried to other places by the travellers. Many doctors, particularly those who are working in the field of Epidemiology and Social and Preventable Medicine had warned about this.

The Health Ministry should have become pro-active in December 2019 when it became a worldwide knowledge that COVID could spread globally. First case was reported in India on 30th January. On the same date WHO had warned about COVID to be a serious Public Health Emergency. The Health Ministry knew very well that the disease is contagious and is being spread by those who are coming from outside. Check-up of those entering India should have been done extensively from that time onwards. But it did not happen. Whether the ministry did not realize the gravity of the situation or was under some other compulsions to ignore, this is not clear till date. When the US President Donald Trump came to India, four thousand personnel accompanied him. Health Ministry should have insisted on their COVID tests.

When the organized engineered violence was going in North East Delhi in the end of February causing death of more than 50 and serious injury to hundreds of people, a visit to the area by the Health Minister to assess the health situation and oversee the make shift camps and ensure proper health care to them could have assuaged the feelings to an extent, more so with impending danger of COVID. Full one month of February was lost without warning and directions from Health Ministry. Even in the month of March the advisory issued by the Health Ministry on 13th March did not point to a grave emergency.

Before the Prime Minister announced sudden lockdown on 24th March, the Health Ministry should have made a detailed assessment of its impact on health, nutrition and necessary preparations to upgrade health system to deal with this Pandemic. This should have included suggestion to the government to take appraisal of the impact on economy, job situation, livelihood, nutrition of the people particularly of those going to their native places and the issues of stay of people and correlating it to physical distancing etc. while taking any steps to deal with the situation. Ministry should have then advised to the Prime Minister accordingly. But this did not happen and as a result, the sudden lock down created immense problems of health and nutrition for the marginalised sections of society.

When the Prime Minister appealed to the people to bang thaalies, clap and sound shankhs, light candles and diyas which created complacency and understanding among masses as if these could dispel the threat of corona, the Health Ministry should have said that this is unscientific and will not get rid of Corona. Even when the Prime Minister said that we will be able to win over Corona infection in 21 days, the Health Minster should have not kept mum and warned the people to remain prepared to fight with the disease for several months..

The Health Minster was hardly to be seen on briefings on Corona. Initially these were addressed by the bureaucrats and ICMR, but soon the ICMR officials vanished from such briefings for the reasons unknown. The Health Ministry should have ensured that such briefings are always addressed by medical scientists alongside the government officials.

The Ministry should have vehemently opposed absurd ideas like cow urine and cow dung to be cure for Corona infection and warned people of the country to beware of myths.

When ICMR said that the community spread has not occurred, while several epidemiologists issued statements to the contrary, the Health Ministry should have assessed the situation clearly and then come out with a concrete statement.

ICMR Director’s statement that the vaccine against COVID will be ready by 15th August, created sharp reaction from many scientists who warned against any fixation of dates on that and the use of unpalatable language in the letter. This put the prestigious body in a precarious situation. The Health Ministry should have intervened timely.

It would be naive to believe that the Health Minister who is a doctor himself is ignorant about such things. Scientists and medical personnel have to learn to withstand pressures. It is worth pointing out that two Health Minsters of Brazil resigned over their differences with the Prime Minister on tackling the COVID -19. (IPA Service)