Health services exposed

Apropos of the editorial ‘Negligent hospitals’ (June 12), healthcare services in most states are in bad shape. Patients are dying and bodies have been lying for days on beds. It is a pitiable situation. Even the doctors, who are called ‘frontline warriors’, are not paid salaries for months. Broken healthcare services cannot be mended immediately, but an effort in that direction must begin in right earnest. The lockdown has exposed the state governments who have done nothing to fix the healthcare system and only hoped that cases would subside on their own. It is time to fix the healthcare system and make government hospitals as good as private hospitals, but affordable.

Ashok Goswami, by mail

Testing by pvt labs

The government must give approval for testing only to laboratories with credibility. Five patients tested ‘positive’ for Covid-19 in the private laboratories of Amritsar, but were later declared negative by the laboratory of the Government Medical College, Amritsar. This is a sensitive and serious issue and puts a big question mark on the functioning of our health system. If reporting by private laboratories is false, the government must take stringent measures, including cancellation of licence. At the same time, the government must ensure the credibility of its own laboratories, since test reporting is the main basis for treatment.

Surinder Singla, Sangrur

Bihar stands betrayed

Reference to ‘Which way Bihar will go’ (June 12); it is unfortunate that the BJP has spent crores of rupees on the ‘virtual rally’ for Bihar, but not for the poor who are struggling due to the Covid-19, lockdown, unemployment and a falling economy which proves that the BJP is only interested in power and is not bothered about the state and its people. Bihar, under JD (U)-BJP rule, has become bankrupt and backward in all spheres. The people of Bihar have been betrayed.

Bhagwan Thadani, via mail

Edge over China

Refer to ‘Taking China head-on’ (June 11); China today is at the receiving end of a global backlash over Covid-19. As far as Indo-China relations are concerned, the latter is stuck in 1962 and cannot see that India has come a long way. In the current standoff, India enjoys a distinct advantage over China and must hold its ground. China cannot jeopardise trade with India by escalating the conflict. Due to our vibrant democracy, we are perceived to be a better brand than China. The key is to use these strategic advantages tactfully and tame the Dragon without bullets being fired.

SK Prabhakar, Gurugram

The return of labour

The Supreme Court’s observations and directive to the Centre and the states to mitigate the woes of labourers has exposed our political and administrative system in the face of the pandemic. Even as labourers are leaving for their home, voices from industrial associations as well as farmer leaders have started arising to call them back via special trains. But, it is easier said than done, both for the administration as well as the migrant families. The migrants faced quarantine when they reached home and are forced to quarantine again on their return. All workers should be registered for their skills and area of employment and an accurate data bank of migrant labour must be consolidated for any fruitful implementation of measures.

Brij B Goyal, Ludhiana

Assam oil disaster

The massive inferno at the Baghjan oil well in Assam’s Tinsukia district has unfortunately claimed the lives of two firefighters. Although around 1,600 families were evacuated, the fire has caused massive damage to biodiversity. The Maguri-Motapung wetland, an important bird and biodiversity area, is just 500 metres away from the damaged oil well, while the Dibru Saikhowa National Park is 800 metres from the site. Given the interconnectedness of the natural world, we need to lay greater emphasis on the ecological impact of human activities. This means transparent assessment of environmental impact with built-in provisions for compensation in case of accidents. An example needs to be set by holding Oil India accountable for damage to biodiversity.

Sanjay Chopra, Mohali

BDS classes

Baba Farid University, through its affiliated institutes, is resuming BDS classes from June 16. This could be dangerous as the students belong to other states as well and some have been declared as red zones. The safety of the students should be a primary concern. And what about the plans of hosting classes like Do ghaz ki doori? If anything happens, the university or the institute will be responsible for it.

Devinder Sehmi, by mail

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