On a busy mid-week afternoon, two weeks into the nationwide lockdown, the man leading India’s fight against the COVID-19 pandemic is dealing with an array of dizzying numbers from across the country. At his office in New Delhi’s Nirman Bhawan, Dr. Harsh Vardhan, Union minister for health and family welfare, has it all on his fingertips. Every few minutes, Vardhan taps his phone screen to check the continuous stream of data, graphics and technical presentations that keep pouring in.
The minister’s schedule has been extremely demanding, and even a couple of hours of sleep is a luxury. But the efforts have paid off. “The preparations are going well,” he tells THE WEEK.
In the coming week, as the group of ministers he heads undertakes a “detailed assessment” of the situation, the health ministry’s containment strategy will hold the key to India’s fate. The precise identification of hotspots and the aggressive plans to test, trace and treat people in those areas will determine how successfully India can contain the virus. As will the participation of 1.3 billion Indians, as they follow the lockdown and practise social distancing.
None of it will be easy, but the minister is hopeful. In a detailed conversation with THE WEEK, he outlines the preparations to ramp up the health system, the risk assessment for India, its testing strategy and the long battle ahead. Excerpts from the interview:
Q/ How would you evaluate the success of the nationwide lockdown?
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