Letters to the editor dated May 25, 2021

At a time when India has lost 1,100 doctors fighting a battle against Covid-19, without adequate personal protective equipment, should a yoga guru deride allopathy and its practitioners as useless and prescriptions of death?

Even though the country has a qualified medical doctor heading the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, it has served as little deterrence for Baba Ramdev to make such accusations.

The Indian Medical Association has lodged a strong protest, but it is unlikely to have any effect on Baba Ramdev, who appears to have all the right political and bureaucratic connections. It is indeed galling for medical professionals, who are losing their colleagues daily as they soldier on in the fight against this virus. With an abysmally-low doctor-patient ratio, doctors (and other healthcare staff) are not even getting a quarantine break. Yet, they have to face such accusations. Should the medical profession, battling an unseen enemy, endure such indignities?

Senior General and Laparoscopic Surgeon

Siliguri, West Bengal

This refers to the news report 'Petrol hits record ₹99.71/litre in Mumbai after another fuel price hike' (May 25). Ironically, this happens to be the 13th increase in fuel prices since May 4. While the fuel prices differ from State to State depending on the incidence of local taxes such as VAT and freight charges, Rajasthan currently levies the highest value-added tax (VAT) on petrol in the country, followed by Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra. But sadly, there does not appear any light at the end of the tunnel since fuel prices are likely to rise further in coming days too, based on average price of benchmark fuel in the international market in the preceding 15-days, and foreign exchange rates.

Panchkula (Haryana)

Apropos ‘A silver lining amidst the Covid horrors’ by Rasheeda Bhagat (May 25) a crisis of unheard-of proportions brings out the stories of both cruelty and empathy. While there are some who are callously making money out of a crisis, there are other kind souls who go out of their way to help the needy patients voluntarily and quietly.

High praise is due to the new generation of today who despite facing personal trauma, serve family members afflicted with Covid-19 and continue to work from home with rare equanimity and resilience.

Many of them are engaged in social service. The media reported two instances — a 17-year-old girl (Swadha Prasad) working with a group of volunteers in their teens to find lifesaving oxygen, drugs and beds in hospital and inform the needy through s digital database; in a 24/7 operation. 32-year-old, Shanawaz Shaikh has provided free oxygen to thousands of people in the slums of Mumbai. His group gets over 500 calls every day.

The media needs to give such angels of kindness top billing — they retain our faith in the goodness of humanity.

Pune

Apropos ‘Time to look at ‘Ease of Living’ (May 25), the writer clearly brings to the fore the key reasons for the failure to combat the second wave of the pandemic — weak public health system and the fragility of the economy in which millions lost their livelihoods than have been harmed by the virus itself. India has miserably failed to build up infrastructure for public health and education like other developed countries.

India ought to focus on ease of living rather than the ease of doing business for international investors. The marginalised people and the migrant labourers are the main victims in the pandemic. Ease of living with strong medical and education system and provision of livelihoods for millions is of utmost need. Strengthening the health system and overhauling the education system with revamped policies are imperative to build a strong and permanent structure to fight the pandemic.

Sivakasi

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