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Chennai: The phone rang in Chennai’s oxygen ‘war room’, instantly putting everyone on alert. A hospital in Thoothukudi, a Tamil Nadu town, was running low on the life-saving gas. A truck carrying oxygen cylinders to the hospital had been delayed.
A quick meeting took place between in-charge Anusuiya S, drug inspector Sharmila and others present, and a course of action was decided upon. Sharmila made a call to a police control room near the hospital, which saw the police immediately swing into action and escort the oxygen-carrying truck to the hospital.
The oxygen control room set up in the Tamil Nadu Medical Services Corporation building in Chennai was made operational on 6 May. The aim: Create a smooth access chain for oxygen for hospitals treating Covid patients in the state, so that a “Delhi-like situation can be averted”, state health officials said.
Indiaâs military is apolitical. But hold up the mirror before it starts fraying
The challenge for the military leadership will always be to fathom political motives and not allow the armed forces to be utilised for partisan acts. Text Size:
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Now is a better time than any other to hold the mirror to India’s apolitical military and examine ways to arrest any fraying. But before using that mirror, it would be prudent to have a concept of what politicisation of the military implies. At the macro-level, any judgement on politicisation of the military community has to be weighed in the balance of its role in domestic politics.
Army, CAPFs, ITBPâall reported on Covid duty. Where is NDRF, Indiaâs disaster response force?
The authorities need to understand that disaster does not mean just a building collapse, cloud burst or flood. The NDRF needs to move beyond this.
Snehesh Alex Philip 7 May, 2021 9:30 am IST Text Size:
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India is facing the worst disaster in recent times with the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic crippling the healthcare system and bringing misery all around. While it is Indiaâs major cities that face an acute shortage of hospital beds and medical oxygen, things could soon be worse in rural India where the deadly virus has now made its way.
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New Delhi: Chennai-based Berty Thomas, who works with an investment bank, tried booking a slot when the Covid-19 vaccine drive opened up for all adults across the country from 1 May. But he was unable to find one.
Thomas is among the thousand across the country who have been struggling to find a vaccination slot on Modi government’s CoWin portal or Aarogya Setu app as the slots disappear as soon as they become available and are taking to social media for registration-related queries.
This is where several tech companies and software developers such as Thomas have come to the rescue.