In a sharp contrast, when the Covid scenario at national level is showing clear signs of improvement, Arunachal Pradesh seems to be stuck in a zone where making a credible prediction of a true retreat is not an easy task. Deaths are unchecked and it remains a concern that in most of the days, at least during the past few weeks, new cases have outnumbered recoveries. As such, the gains arising out of recoveries are proving to be too short-lived to usher in the level of confidence the state desperately needs at the moment. In a situation like this, a Central intervention was very necessary and thankfully it’s coming with the Union Health Ministry on Friday announcing that a high-level multi-disciplinary public health team will be arriving in Arunachal to assess the ground realities.

It is relevant to add that along with Arunachal, five similar Central teams will be reviewing the situation of Manipur, Tripura, Kerala, Odisha and Chhattisgarh, the states where the 2^nd wave is still much active. Just like in the rest of the country, there must be unanimity among the medical fraternity that an important reason for a marked rise in Covid-related casualties in Arunachal during the 2^nd wave compared to the 1^st one is the Delta variant. The strain, now concluded as the deadliest of all its predecessors, caught the whole country completely off guard and the same thing happened in the state. All states, driven by the belief that had an unfortunate enrichment primarily due to the ‘Covid has fled’ Central narrative lowered their guards and invited the catastrophe. The spill-over effect of this mentality of overconfidence was reflected in the behavioural attitude of citizens in no time and it took less than 2 months to come to senses. However, it was too late and on Friday when India reached the grim milestone of 4 lakh deaths from coronavirus, with the last 1 lakh occurring in just 39 days, a tax-paying and election-participating citizen can always ask- why the blunder was allowed to take place and why there was such a flagrant disregard of the caveats sounded by medical experts. As per reports, the visiting team will gather a first-hand understanding of the challenges and issues being faced by Arunachal for strengthening its ongoing Covid combat activities and monitor the overall implementation process relating to testing, surveillance, containment operations, enforcement of COVID Appropriate Behaviour, availability of hospital beds, sufficient logistics including ambulances, ventilators, medical oxygen and vaccination. The state health department should not hesitate to seek help in any of the pressing issues.

Pulling out Arunachal Pradesh from the current distress is as much a Central responsibility as that of the state.