Arunachal must not buckle under Covid-19 stress

 

 

Even if the current Covid-19 situation in the country is heading towards a more worse situation, a report published in the globally renowned medical journal, The Lancet on Friday has stated that Arunachal Pradesh, thus far, has remained one of the least Covid vulnerable state in the country in terms of health and economic impacts. The report is based on a comprehensive study encompassing almost the whole of the country and it's without question that it is going to be taken seriously by the government(s), public healthcare apparatus and  medical fraternity.This is a significant finding, full of insightful details and the aim of the state now must be to keep intact the levels of currently-deployed efforts and not get swayed by the spike of cases. If the revelations are accepted to be true, the state’s citizens can also derive a bit of solace and take a break from panicking with the assurance that things haven’t gone totally out of hand and Covid is well within manageable limits.

The report titled ‘A Vulnerability Index for the Management of and Response to the Covid-19 Epidemic in India: an Ecological Study’ prepare by the researchers from the India office of the Population Council, an international non-government agency has come out with an index for identification of vulnerable regions in India on the basis of population and infrastructural characteristics and is based on 15 indicators across five domains namely socio-economic, demographic, housing and hygiene, epidemiological and health system. Based on studies made across 30 states, Sikkim is the least vulnerable state with a score of 0.0 followed by Arunachal Pradesh (0.29) and Himachal Pradesh (0.057) while Madhya Pradesh is the most vulnerable with 1.0, with Bihar (0.971) followed by Telangana (0.943). Significantly, Dibang Valley and Lower Subansiri districts in the state have featured among the top ten least Covid vulnerable districts in the country. The chief intention of the study, as stated by the agency, is to supplement the current Covid response efforts of the Central and State governments who could use the index as an input in fine-tuning the plans for mitigating the health and socio-economic impacts of Covid-19. It is really so since it will help the planners and policy makers who could use it to understand the on-ground needs. But the telling aspect of the study seems to be the clarion call of initiating more public investments in health infrastructure, human resources and testing facilities, if the pandemic is to be challenged comprehensively.

The state’s policy makers can use the index appropriately and take the suggestions contained in it for furtherance of the Covid-defeating mission. With streamlining of existing efforts and more determination, Arunachal can very well reach the status of least vulnerable state within next few months.

 

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Kenter Joya Riba

(Managing Editor)
      She is a graduate in Science with post graduation in Sociology from University of Pune. She has been in the media industry for nearly a decade. Before turning to print business, she has been associated with radio and television.
Email: kenterjoyaz@easternsentinel.in / editoreasternsentinel@gmail.com
Phone: 0360-2212313

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