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Even if a part of the 100s of crores spent in Maharashtra to build understaffed Jumbo COVID centres were given as aid to existing smaller private hospitals/nursing homes as aid, the situation in the state would've been better. Alas, that would've meant empty corruption coffers.
+ On the contrary, the Maharashtra government and municipal corporations haven't spared any opportunity to choke these private hospitals and nursing homes and threaten doctors all along. This helps build a favorable public perception without really doing anything of note.
+ The state government's attitude towards healthcare workers was clear right at the outset of the pandemic when an email was sent to all doctors in Mumbai by the Maharashtra Medical Council in a threatening tone. Not one of request or reasoning. Indirectly, that says a lot.
+ In April, despite knowing well that even asymptomatic individuals can transmit the virus, the health minister of Maharashtra had said that private doctors treating 'non covid' patients (how'd they know if they were asymptomatic carriers?) don't need an N95 masks.
+ There were also instances of family physicians in Mumbai receiving threatening notices from the municipal corporation for apparently prescribing tests when 'they were not required'. On the other hand, Bollywood celebs were praising the best CM in the world for god knows what.
+ The bottom line is that you simply cannot start managing a pandemic by threatening healthcare workers. It shows your attitude towards the pandemic as a whole. I'm sure this is not limited to Maharashtra alone. I hope lessons are learnt, for the immediate and distant future.
+ Go through this thread if you haven't already to know the ordeal a doctor and his hospital have to go through for... simply managing patients during a pandemic! https://twitter.com/amitsurg/status/1299352826636722176?s=19
