The pandemic has thrown up new points to consider in the making of Budgets, including the Railway Budget.
The way new viruses have been coming up since the past years -- Ebola, swine and bird flu, SarsCov2 -- we can only expect more. The pandemic caused by the last virus was akin to a war demanding vast allocation of funds with an eye on the future.
Hospital beds, doctors, sanitation etc must be provided. Mass transport systems like the railways and buses must be expanded to avert overcrowding with emphasis on hygiene. Funds from Swacchh Bharat programme can be utilised for this.
Vaccines manufactured in India have efficacy rates of 70% while those in the US, EU are 95% effective but require -70 degrees storage temperatures that are lacking in India. Budget provision for storage of these vaccines must be made.
Also, budget to either manufacture affordable healthcare machines or to subsidise the same must be made.
