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India’s counts of new Covid-19 cases rose for the first time by over 200,000 on Thursday, reflecting what some health researchers have called a “brutal second wave” for which, they said, the Centre should take responsibility and stop blaming people and states.
Health authorities recorded 200,739 new lab-confirmed cases, raising the total number of active Covid-19 patients nationwide overnight by over 100,000 to 1.47 million, about 40 per cent higher than the peak counts of active patients during the previous wave in mid-September.
A group of public health researchers and scientists have urged the Centre to stop blaming the second wave on laxity among the public, pandemic fatigue among health workers and incompetence by states.
February 08, 2021
Says Govt must not include the allocations of other departments in the health budget
Despite grappling with the Covid-19 pandemic for over a year, allocations towards health-related programmes in the Budget have been “misrepresented”, according to the Jan Swasthya Abhiyan (People’s Health Movement, India).
Pointing to the 137 per cent increase in healthcare allocation, JSA said, “the reality was exactly opposite”, and the government had lost an opportunity to strengthen the health system.
According to the Finance Minister, allocations for health and well-being have been increased from ₹94,452 crore to ₹2,23,846 crore, the note said. But this included allocations for Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation under the Ministry of Jal Shakti; Allocations for POSHAN Abhiyan (National Nutrition Mission) under Ministry of Women and Child Development; Grants to Drinking Water and Sanitation, and health by the Fifteenth Finance Commission, and the allo