The second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic has wrecked havoc in the country, taking a toll of lives. It is clear that the prime responsibility for the disastrous turn rests with the government.
It is easy to claim that the present situation would not have arisen if people had followed Covid protocol, but the obvious question is whether the government had anticipated it.
This failure has resulted in patients having to run from pillar to post to get admitted to hospitals or access medicines and oxygen. The vaccination programme was not planned well and even now, the government does not consider its responsibility to offer the vaccines free to all citizens in states.
The PM declared to the world that India had defeated the pandemic, and that could only have misled the people. Since the pandemic was the main concern of the nation for the last one year, the failure to handle it with any degree of success marks a total collapse of governance.
A timely stringent enforcement of pandemic protocols, including wearing of masks and maintaining social distancing, would have been far more effective and less damaging than lockdowns.
It is a good sign that more people are going in for vaccination, and the government should try to extend the service.
