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Opinion | Revealed: Why ICU ventilators sent from PM CARES Fund were lying unused in hospitals
On Monday, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi made a generalized comment raising doubts about the efficacy of more than 50,000 ventilators spread across India. He tweeted, first in Hindi and then in English: âThereâs a lot common between PMCares ventilator and the PM himself: - too much false PR, - donât do their respective jobs, - nowhere in sight when neededâ. This led to a storm of reactions and comments on social media, at a time when thousands of Covid-19 patients are fighting for their lives in hospitals, using ventilators.Â
Did ventilators from PM Cares Fund fail or states failed to manage them?
Did ventilators from PM Cares Fund fail or states failed to manage them?
Is it just another case of states and Centre sparring? Did the ventilators supplied to states under PM Cares fail the users or did the users fail to operate the ventilators or is it politics failing the patients?
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Ventilators lying idle at a hospital in Punjab. (Image: Twitter)
Stung by charges made by states such as Punjab and Rajasthan, the Centre on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s orders has kickstarted an immediate audit of installation and operational status of ventilators provided by the central government under different schemes including PM Cares.
Shortage of paramedics, technicians, accessories hits usage of ventilators
Synopsis
When the pandemic broke out last year, demand for ventilators outstripped supply and companies such as the Tatas, Mahindra & Mahindra and Maruti Suzuki stepped in to make them at the behest of the government.
A shortage of intensivists, paramedics, respiratory technicians and accessories has hit the usage of ventilators manufactured by Indian companies to treat Covid-19 patients.
The shortage comes as the requirement of ventilators rises, with the pandemic headed to its second peak. At least 20,000 ventilators are lying in warehouses or are getting installed only now, manufacturers said.
In the first wave, the number of daily cases peaked at about