The Situation In Chennai Is Bleak In Front Of The COVID Chaos!

Three phrases are nowadays but common, especially where it comes to the second wave of the dreaded Coronavirus. One could say these are- Panic, overflowed hospitals. and countless number of patients. Just a few hours ago, India, that had registered a sum total of 3.78 lakh COVID cases, saw the tally increase to 4,00,000. This is just unbelievable.

It’s for the first time that India, among the largest democracies on the face of the earth has been so grief-stricken. Everyday, there’s some sort of negative news flowing in from all parts of the country.

And now, it appears that there’s trouble in the southern city of Chennai. So the key question is- just what is going on and what might have engulfed the thriving capital of Tamil Nadu in these COVID-marred times?

Well, believe it or not but there are long queues of people lining up outside different medical hospitals in order to source the injection that’s so badly needed in these times. And perhaps the name of that injection, in these challenging times, has become all too common: Remdisivir!

People, it is told, are actually hiring agents to stand in queue for them as the challenge to source Remdisivir sees one stand for long hours altogether, making the entire process cumbersome and complicated.

And that’s not all; these agents are being paid handsomely, up to Rs 1500 so that they can fill in for individuals who so desperately require the injection.

A resident, speaking to a prominent Print daily shared, “one of us is admitted to the hospital and requires this drug (Remdivisir). None of us can queue up and stand the whole day.”

And somewhere you might say that it is, after all, a fair call. Who can manage to accumulate the strength and courage to stand almost the entire day in queues that seem almost unending even if, at the end of the day, a vital drug has to be purchased?

Meanwhile, a local social activist shared his side of helplessness where it comes to getting the Remdisivir injection. V Rama Rao shared that each day he gets up to five calls from different elders to get the drug but he too is unable to get it for them.

Currently, the common trend in the city of Chennai is that help is being sought from a known set of people as well as volunteers who can stand in queues for the others and procure the much-needed drug.

Meanwhile, here is what the Times of India reported on the entire development from the city:

A panic has been created due to shortage of supply. The government has placed orders for about 4.5 lakh vials. Many doctors are prescribing it out of fear so that the patients don’t question them.

Two in the four-member family have mild symptoms, while the others have tested positive and require the drug. There is nobody to stand in the queue. The government should distribute the drug only to government-approved hospitals as well as empanelled hospitals to ensure patients don’t struggle.”

Just imagine how difficult might the situation be that even at 5 P.M., which is about the closing time for the counters, the public, upon getting enraged just doesn’t allow the same to happen?