Image Courtesy:phmovement.org
Jan Swathya Abhiyan (JSA), India’s national network of civil society groups and people’s movements working for health rights, condemns the central government’s failure and demands that both central and state administration fulfill their duties in protecting people’s lives. It has demanded a slew of policy measures aimed at improving public access to healthcare and vaccination amidst the Covid-19 pandemic. JSA has shared their observations and a list of obligations of central and state governments in a statement.
As many as four lakh new Covid-cases and over 3,500 deaths were officially recorded on May 1, 2021 marking yet another grim milestone for India’s Covid-crisis. Major cities, districts continue to struggle to provide basic healthcare to people. JSA also took note of how cremation grounds overflowed, how Maha-kumbh, election rallies and ignorance of social distancing ran rampant in the country despite explicit warnings by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Health and the Family Welfare Committee about an impending second wave.
JSA called for a proper plan of action against the third wave and warned from repeating the previous mistake of laxity. The government erred greatly in scaling back measures for health systems strengthening. This left the whole nation vulnerable to the second wave catastrophe that followed. The organisation said that all democratic institutions, scientists, health movements and people must remain vigilant to keep this from happening again.
Accordingly, it reminded governments of their obligation to:
- provide free treatment, transport and healthcare for all
- beds with oxygen for critical Covid care
- access to quality testing
- effective contact tracing, quarantine and isolation facilities
- universal vaccination with priority to the vulnerable
- prevent violation of civil rights and liberties, etc.
The complete list of government obligations along with a detailed list of urgently required policy measures are listed below:
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