ON THE EVENING of May 23, a family from Mumbai’s suburban Andheri ran from one end of the city to the other to find a hospital bed for a 58-year-old who complained of increasing breathlessness. They visited five hospitals, but were told that no beds were available in the critical care unit. Finally, in the wee hours of the morning, they managed to admit the patient in the general ward of a dedicated Covid-19 hospital. The patient was diagnosed with pneumonia, but the oxygen support came too late. He died at around 6.30am.
This is not an isolated case. As of May 26, Covid-19 cases in Maharashtra have crossed the 50,000 mark. Mumbai alone has more than 30,000 cases. The city is struggling to cope with the surge in cases. Its hospitals are stretched to capacity and there is an acute shortage of beds, especially in the ICUs. Frontline health workers are facing emotional and physical exhaustion. Dead bodies are left behind in wards for hours on end, and ambulances take hours to reach critical patients. And, there are lapses, like the one recounted by Malini Shinde (name changed), a resident of Prabhadevi. Her neighbour tested positive and was hospitalised, but none of his close contacts were approached by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) nor were they quarantined.
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Denne historien er fra June 07, 2020-utgaven av THE WEEK.
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A golden girl
One of India's most formidable beauties passed away earlier this month. The odd thing is she would absolutely hate this obituary; she hated being written about and avoided publicity for all of her nine decades. Indira Aswani was 93 when she died. But anyone who encountered her, even briefly, was in such awe of her grace and poise, and one could not but remember her forever.
The interest in wine is growing delightfully in India
The renowned British wine writer and television presenter Jancis Robinson, 74, recently came to Delhi and Mumbai to reacquaint herself with India's wine industry. This was the Robinson's fourth visit to India; the last one was seven years ago. On this trip, Robinson and her husband, restaurateur Nicholas Lander, were hosted by the Taj Hotels and Sonal Holland, India's only Master of Wine.
United in the states
Indian-Americans coming together under the Democratic umbrella could get Harris over the line in key battlegrounds
COVER DRIVE
Usage-driven motor insurance policies offer several benefits
GDP as the only measure of progress is illogical
Dasho Karma Ura, one of the world's leading happiness experts, has guided Bhutan's unique gross national happiness (GNH) project. He uses empirical data to show that money cannot buy happiness in all circumstances, rather it is family and health that have the strongest positive effect on happiness. Excerpts from an interview:
India is not a controlling big brother
Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay considers India a benevolent elder sibling as the \"big brotherly attitude\" is happily missing from bilateral ties. He thinks the relationship shared by the two countries has become a model of friendship not just for the region, but for the entire world. \"India's attitude is definitely not of a big brother who is controlling and does not allow the little brother to blossom and grow,\" says Tobgay in an exclusive interview with THE WEEK.
Comrade with no foes
Lal Salaam, Comrade Yechury-you were quite a guy!
Pinning down saffron
In her first political bout, Vinesh Phogat rides on the anti-BJP sentiment across Haryana
MAKE IN MANIPUR
Home-made rockets and weapons from across the border are escalating the conflict
SAHEB LOSES STEAM
Coalition dynamics and poor electoral prospects continue to diminish Ajit Pawar's political stock
