Ranchi | Updated: May 15, 2021 13:29 IST 6 min read Why BJP will be unhappy with its Uttarakhand panchayat poll showing A total of 5,126 people have so far lost their lives due to contagion in Jharkhand which is battling the deadly second wave of COVID-19. (Express Photo) Disha Patani's sister Khushboo goes on expletive-laden rant against Pookie A paucity of essential medicines like paracetamol; a limited number of pulse oximeters; “widespread” fever; vaccine hesitancy; vague guidelines on utilising the 15th Finance Commission payment for Covid-19 work; and even a scarcity of something as basic as drinking water.
As the pandemic’s second wave knocks on the door of rural India, Jharkhand’s villages have found themselves scrambling for key requirements. The heads of panchayats from the state’s 24 districts raised these red flags in a Renuka Chowdhury Slams Kiren Rijiju: “Don’t Preach, Control Your Own Party series of virtual meetings with the government and among themselves. The Indian Express was a part of some of these meetings where these Mukhiyas sent out a grim warning: “Covid has reached the villages.”
Jharkhand has been hit hard by the pandemic. The state has a weekly positivity rate of around 12% and an active caseload of 48, 468. CRPF jawan shot dead in Haryana’s Gohana, days after brawl with village men during Kanwar Yatra SC refuses to stay Madras HC order restraining DMK from using OTP veriacation LS adjourned till 2 pm amid uproar over Bihar roll revision; key Bills to be discussed, says Congress leaders who joined BJP ahead of Delhi elections get key In the last 44 days, it has seen a four-fold increase in Covid-19 deaths—around from 1,113 on March 31 this year to 4, 290 deaths on May 14.
Anil Vij left seething again, Haryana BJP leaders rush to placate him But in several meetings, the Mukhiyas have said the state may be undercounting the number of Covid deaths in many villages. With facilities scarce, there isn’t much they can do to find out if those were Covid deaths. During a virtual meeting with the Panchayati Raj Department and NGOs on May 12, Patel Kumar Mahato of Bokaro’s Murhulsudi Panchayat said there were no medicines in the Community Health Centre.
Supreme Court stays proceedings against Rahul Gandhi over remarks on Mahato, who was himself ill, said: “There is no paracetamol in our CHC. Abhi ghar ghar bukhar ho gaya hai (Every household has fever).” The Supreme Court Monday stayed proceedings against Congress MP Rahul Gandhi over his remarks about Indian army during his Bharat Jodo Yatra. Mathura Razak of Palamu district’s Kulhaiya Panchayat said no quarantine arrangements had been made for migrants who tested positive.
“We need beds, oxygen, sanitization chemicals. We also need pulse oximeters with all Sahiyas (ASHAs) so that we can check people’s oxygen levels. But there is no communication from the government,” he said. Lack of doctors is a major concern for the state, with some districts engaging quacks to fight vaccine hesitancy and administer basic medicines. On April 18, then Health Secretary KK Soan issued another letter to all DCs asking them to give oximeters along with medicines.
But several Mukhiyas said the letter does not provide clarity on how to use those Kumar told The Indian Express: “I want to buy oximeters, but I don’t know which vendor to buy from and how much I can spend. Later the government will start an audit and accuse me of siphoning funds. Till the time this issue clears out, the peak caseload will decrease. We need funds right now.” Mukhiya Vinod Singh of Hazaribagh district’s Chouparan panchayat—which comprises 15 villages—said in another meeting: “We are getting our own funds from various people.
This is some money in the Panchayat account from 15th Finance Commission, but we have no idea how to spend it.” Ex-Jharkhand CM Shibu Soren had a storied career with fleeting stints in Top News Right Now 68 murdered in Maliana, all accused acquitted 36 years later, residents ask: So who killed our families? In appeal, Rahul says was mistreated, sentenced to attract disqualiacation Kalakshetra suspends 4 teachers, appoints independent committee to probe sexual Shah Rukh Khan thanks Shashi Tharoor for not using 'more magniloquent' language for his National Award win Singh also raised the ‘pathetic situation’ in the Chouparan CHC.
“There is one doctor for 26 panchayats, and people who give injections to patients are someone who were sent to ‘learn how to vaccinate’ at the CHC. We are buying medicines on our own, we are going to different districts to get other supplies and we are preparing food to feed 50 frontline workers including in the hospital,” he said. The government says that the swabs go to Dhanbad and take time, but this is resulting in panic, chaos and deaths and it has reached various villages.
Recently, a 30-year-old man was falsely diagnosed with Typhoid when his Covid-19 result was pending, but suddenly his oxygen dropped and we could not even admit him in the hospital. He died.” He later told The Indian Express that the meetings had elicited no action. Chouparan panchayat’s Singh says: “One day we needed an ambulance for a patient and it arrived 8 hours late. The patient died.
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