Letters to the editor dated June 1, 2021

This refers to ‘Needed, a resilient health care system’ (June 1). If the first Covid wave last year was more about migrants’ woes, the second wave has been about death tolls and pathetic state of the healthcare system. The need for robust primary health care can never be overemphasised, especially in rural areas.

All stakeholders including local panchayats/administrations, state government and private hospitals need to come together and chalk out a workable plan so that even if there is a third wave, we would be better prepared. Only a micro-level approach can help in tackling the pandemic.

Noida

India’s spend on public healthcare is one of the lowest in the world at 4 per cent of GDP; developed nations spend 9-15 per cent. Policymakers fail to see that the key to national health of this agrarian nation is rural medical care. The pandemic has revealed how ill-served rural healthcare is. That Covid has battered urban areas too cannot be a consolation. Human development through healthcare must be acknowledged as a key tool for all-round progress .

Navi Mumbai

This refers to ‘Tweeting trouble’ (June 1). Major social media platforms are owned by foreign entities that make their own rules in the name of protecting privacy of the users’ identity and data.

These rules are made and amended by them at their will and the users are given only a ‘take it or leave it’ option. In some cases, the rules allow the entities to use the private data to suit their business but deny the government its access even in matters of national security.

It was as such inevitable the government would deem it necessary to restrain, not deny, this freedom within certain limits. The new guidelines on the matter are aimed at this. The government had given the entities sufficient time to make the required changes in their practice. Now the time has come for the government to act in a firm manner against the defaulters.

Pune

The government of day wants social media platforms do its bidding and is using them to the hilt. It gets rattled only with the posts which are critical of it.

The main contention is that it wants the traceability of the originator indulging in anti-national activities. But even innocuous messages which question the government’s functioning and its policies are termed as anti-national. The intention seems to be that of wanting to curb free speech.

Noida

The IRCTC’s retiring room booking website displays the list of railway stations with the facility of online bookings. A passenger with a confirmed ticket can book retiring rooms online for up to 48 hours transit stay in the notified retiring rooms across the Indian Railway network. However, the IRCTC website does not provide any details related to the various types of accommodation available, amenities, facilities, etc., provided in the retiring room for the benefit of transit passengers.

Non-availability of status details causes inconvenience to many passengers intending for an overnight stay at retiring rooms through online booking mode. The railway authorities must consider providing such information.

Bengaluru

The health of the economy under the present circumstances is dependent on how quickly the second wave of the pandemic is controlled. Though the economy recovered well by March the second wave reversed the momentum. The imposition of lockdown by States has been asynchronous. and the supply of vaccine has been done in a haphazard manner. A lot of effort is needed to control the spread and help the economy get back to pre-pandemic levels.

Bhimavaram, AP

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