Mark O'Doherty

Healing India - Improving Peace, Prosperity and Human Rights in the Republic of India Mark O'Doherty

India recorded another 352,991 new coronavirus cases on 26 April, breaking its own global record for the fifth straight day, and 2,812 new deaths, its highest daily figure for fatalities. In the week to 25 April, the country recorded a cumulative 89% increase in Covid deaths compared with the week before, and a total of 2.2 million new cases - the highest seven-day increase experienced anywhere in the world. Total confirmed infections have passed 17 million. "Hoarding of injections like remdesivir and oxygen in homes is creating a panic and this hoarding is causing a shortage of these medicines," said Dr Randeep Guleria, the director of India's Institute of Medical Sciences, in a statement released by the ministry of health on Sunday night. Guleria said most people should not need to be treated with oxygen and holding it in private homes could reduce availability for critical patients. He emphasised, too, that Remdesivir was no "magic bullet". "Covid-19 is (a) mild infection and 85-90% people will only suffer from cold, fever, sore throat and body ache. Only symptomatic treatment at home is enough to ride through these infections and there is no need for oxygen or Remdesivir," he said. On Saturday, 20 patients died at Jaipur Golden hospital in the capital during a severe oxygen crisis. On Sunday, four patients at Gurgaon's Kathuria hospital and four patients at Virat hospital in Rewari, both south-west of Delhi, all died when the facilities ran out of oxygen. The US on Sunday led international pledges of support for India as the country grappled with worsening crisis. Joe Biden said the US was "determined to help India in its time of need"; immediately making available supplies of vaccine-production material, therapeutics, tests, ventilators and protective equipment. In the Indian capital, more than a quarter of people tested for the virus on Sunday were positive. The prime minister, Narendra Modi, said the country had been shaken by a "storm" as he called on people to get vaccinated and not "get swayed by any rumour about the vaccines". Therefore it is imperative that the International Community - in particular the US and the EU - immediately helps India in this time of need; by supplying India with AstraZeneca vaccines, raw materials for vaccine manufacture, ventilators and oxygen - so that the escalating Covid-19 crisis can be overcome in India. My prayers are with all people afflicted by the virus, so that health and healing can be manifested in India.