As the Covid-19 cases increase in India at an alarming pace, global health agencies are warning the country of a catastrophe. By the evening of 23rd March, India has already reported 422 confirmed cases of Coronavirus with 8 deaths. If the current pace prevails in the coming days, India may witness 30,000 deaths by the end of May. The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimated the figure considering assuming the 3.4 percent fatality rate relative to confirmed cases. The warnings were given by WHO could well be true given India's health infrastructure.
India reaching up to exponential growth curve
As per a report published in the Print, the first case in Italy was discovered 10 days after South Korea. In the following 20 days, around 10 cases were discovered. But what came after was a deluge of new Covid-19 cases that took a toll on Italy's entire health system. Italy registered the highest death in a single day even surpassing China. India will have to move towards its own growth curve, different like Italy, with the harsh implementation of social distancing measures it has already announced.
But the on-ground situation is not encouraging as Prime Minister Narendra Modi's call to pay gratitude to health workers on Sunday 22nd March was taken in some other way. Hundreds of people were seen coming on-road and celebrating as if Coronavirus was defeated. India will have to understand the severity of the situation as it may trigger an uncontrollable spread of this deadly virus which has already killed more than 15,300 people all over the world.
India's crippled healthcare system
With around 1 percent budgetary allocation, India's healthcare is one the worst in the world. As of 2017, it only has 0.5 beds per 1,000 people which will not be enough to contain the Corona outbreak. If the current rate of confirmed cases sustains until June, its health system will be overwhelmed. Another estimate highlighted that by the end of April India will be out of hospital beds. India does not have an official count of ICU bed but the current capacity clearly raise an alarm on India's preparedness against Coronavirus.
