India’s Covid-19 crisis matters to us

As of April 30, Uganda had registered 41, 866 Covid-19 cases and 342 deaths from the disease. By the same time, the Ministry of Health reported five new types of Covid-19 virus (variants) from India, UK, Nigeria, South Africa and one from within Uganda. 

These variants have been found to spread easily and cause more severe disease.  On the same day, the ministry reported widespread non-adherence to public health and social measures (SOPs), epidemic fatigue leading non-compliance and complacency to Covid-19 preventive measures. These are coming at a terrible time when lockdown measures have been relaxed, new cases are on the increase, new fast spreading and fatal Covid-19 strains are in the country and there is free movement of people in public places, gatherings, parties, burials, bars, markets and transportation without following preventive measures. 

If the status quo is not changed, we will soon have another India, Brazil and Italy situations here. And, we will not be able to handle or cope because the capacity of our health care system cannot handle. We need renewed leadership, energy and commitment starting with President Museveni. 

Effective lockdowns and social distancing measures will do this but vaccination is also vital. Though currently, our minds and effort are more on vaccination and less on enforcing SOPs. The uptake of the Covid-19 vaccines has been reported low in Uganda and other countries including India despite the fact that India is a home to the world’s biggest vaccine manufacturer (the Serum Institute of India).  

There is urgent need to double down on vaccination as quickly as possible or the virus is going to try and do everything it can to keep on spreading from person to person. Globally, the pandemic shows no sign of easing, with the virus devastating country after country. The situation in India is a bleak reminder that none of us will be safe until everyone is safe. 

The number of Covid-19 cases has been on a fast increase in Uganda in the past few weeks. Are we about to have a situation similar to the one in India or Brazil?  

Lessons from India tell us that Covid-19 has not gone anywhere and a tsunami would hit us if urgent actions are not taken today, starting now.  India, Brazil and Italy with better health care systems and resources are facing chronic shortage of hospital beds and oxygen. This is evident in the desperate cries for help on social media platforms. We experienced similar situation here during the first wave. I wonder what will happen if nothing is done on the current situation as far as observance of SOPs and vaccination are concerned.

I wonder if the beds in Namboole are still there. Do we have enough oxygen should the catastrophe hit? It is hard to keep up with the pace of the rising number of infections and increased need for intensive care beds just as it was during the first wave. Have we used the lean period to boost facilities? If not, then we didn’t learn any lesson from the first wave. We had reports of many hospitals running out of beds even in the first wave and that should be a good enough reason to be prepared for the second wave. 

We need innovative ways of sensitising the public to make them appreciate again that Covid-19 is real and still alive and to take appropriate, continuous actions to prevent spread of infection and strict enforcement of SOPs as had been done before. We need renewed leadership. And above all, let’s learn from India and Brazil.

Mr Innocent Atuhe works with King Ceasor University Centre for research, innovation & publication.