First, there was the scramble to find her father a bed in intensive care. Then came the price gouging for an all-but-impossible-to-find therapeutic injection. And, through it all, countless hours on the phone with doctors, family and friends dealing with logistical problems.
From nearly 5,000 miles and five time zones away, Anuja Vakil, 40, has been struggling for the last 12 days to help manage care for her father, Jatin Bhagat, who lies critically ill in an Ahmedabad hospital. She knows he has been lucky to get care at all.
“When I pray to God now, it is for my dad,” Vakil said. “He has to come back.”
Faith groups and local leaders are assuring the South Asian community that the coronavirus vaccine is safe, amid misinformation over its contents. The Sri Guru Singh Sabha Southall Gurdwara, Baitul Futuh Mosque and the MP for Ealing, Southall are speaking out against fake news on social media that is causing vaccine scepticism. This follows concerns raised by Dr Harpreet Sood, who is leading an NHS anti-disinformation drive, that fake news, language and cultural barriers are causing some people within South Asian communities to reject Covid vaccinations. Labour MP for Ealing, Southall, Virendra Sharma said: “I urge everyone who can to have a vaccine when it is offered.