Goa holds the dubious record of having one of the highest Covid death rates. Against an India average of 102 per million, Goa stands at 465. Here alone we see an excess of 363 deaths per million or 547 deaths that should not have been! Nepal has 55, Singapore: 5, China :3.4! Many African countries are in single digits per million.
All over the World, organisations like WHO, CDC etc. maintain that only those more than 65 years, who have comorbidities are at risk of death from Covid-19 but can still survive. In Goa, people in their 50s are succumbing like nine pins.
These deaths in Goa were avoidable if we all worked diligently with one objective: avoiding unnecessary deaths. Our ego, pathetic administrative and problem-solving skills, penchant for excuses coupled with an unsatiating greed has killed hundreds of people in Goa well before their time. Many more will have their lives cut short as we continue with flawed decisions denying them their basic human rights. This is real life and death horror incident.
A memorial must be built to all these victims of the Covid war whom we killed by wilfully taking the decisions we did. To serve as a reminder of how casually we have taken away their lives. The memorial is the least we can do to allow us to live with ourselves. The lost lives were placed in the hands of mature elected legislators and health providers and the many advisors. The SC declared the right to die with dignity a fundamental right: here we see many had to succumb gasping for oxygen “ no dignity and stolen right to life.
