MUMBAI
India’s deadly coronavirus second wave has underscored a stark digital divide determining who has better access to vaccines and healthcare, as surging caseloads expose shortfalls and overwhelm hospitals.
Onerous online procedures have turned vaccine access into an exclusionary, often lottery-like process in a country where about half the population lacks internet access.
When India opened up vaccines to all adults on 1 May, those in the 18 to 44 age group had to register through the Cowin platform – a centralised system – before they could book an appointment. For this, they need identity documents and access to a smartphone or computer with a strong internet connection. As states grapple with vaccine shortages, the online system has privileged a small fraction of elite, tech-literate city dwellers.
Indian migrant workers at risk of falling out of Chinese control Coronavirus pandemic News
New Delhi, India – In the last year, Jagdev Pandey has lived three lives.
Last summer, a 37-year-old migrant worker lived in a rented single-room home in a working-class neighborhood in the eastern working capital of New Delhi, India. He had a stable marketing job with a company that manufactured aluminum foil.
In July, in the monsoons, the company closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and a nationwide shutdown that was established to verify the virus.
Pandey was forced to return to his hometown 700 kilometers away in Uttar Pradesh Siddharth Nagar district, India’s most populous state.
Indian migrant workers at risk of being left out of vaccine drive aljazeera.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from aljazeera.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
As Covid-19 strikes rural southern Rajasthan, a shortage of medical staff hampers battle
In addition, inadequate testing and infrastructure treatment is a problem. A healthworker in southern Rajasthan. | Basic HealthCare Services
Since March, a second Covid-19 wave, driven by a more infectious variant of the coronavirus, has led to an unprecedented crisis in India. With over 25 million cases and over 2.78 lakh reported deaths, India’s healthcare infrastructure is proving inadequate. Medical personnel are overworked and overwhelmed, medicines and oxygen cylinders are scarce, crematoriums and cemeteries have been running out of space for funerals.
While urban India struggles, another worrying development has begun to unfold: Covid-19 has now spread in rural areas.
King’s College London
With India particularly hard hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, the King’s India Institute has put together a list of ways in which we can provide help and support..
As the lockdown lifts in many parts of the world, the second wave of Covid-19 in India has hit hard. As many of you might be aware, the scale and intensity of suffering brought about by the pandemic in India, is unforeseen. In these challenging times we at the King’s India Institute have been trying to find meaningful ways to extend care and support to the people of India. This webpage summarizes some of the ways in which we can be in solidarity with the people of India from afar, and urges you to contribute in any way you can.