As of 28th April 2019, India reported 379,308 new COVID 19 cases. The COVID 19 crisis in India is worsening by the day as millions have been reported dead. Hospitals are full and sick people are turned away from hospitals. Sick people are dying in vehicles and others outside hospitals. There is an insufficient supply of oxygen compared to the rising number of cases. Cemeteries and cremation services are overloaded with dead bodies and families are in desperate need of help. It is reported that the more the virus spreads the more it mutates.
With explosive numbers of cases in India, more people are not more scared of a global explosion of new variants or mutations. India’s outbreak calls for a quick coordinated response from different stakeholders. Countries like the UK, Russia, Italy, and Germany are supporting India by sending medicines, ventilators, and oxygen. Although India is the homegrown COVID 19 vaccine producer named COVAX, the country cannot supply vaccines for its inhabitants. The vaccine is inadequate for all its citizens. The vaccine had earlier been targeted to be supplied to developing countries. This is seen as prior problems to these countries and more.
The situation is worrying and has been called a petition by countries like South Africa and more developing countries to ask the World Trade Organization, to lift its intellectual property rights to boost the production of vaccines for the developing countries. However, countries like the UK, USA, and Switzerland blocked the petition in fear of a surging supply of vaccines. Scientists still insist that the quicker India is supported in fighting COVID 19 spread the greater the opportunity of saving the world.
