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?
This story is from the April 19, 2020 edition of THE WEEK.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the April 19, 2020 edition of THE WEEK.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
There Is A Wind Blowing Against The BJP, And It Will Only Pick Up Speed
Interview - Akhilesh Yadav, Former Chief Minister, Uttar Pradesh
Between hospital and home
Transitional care centres can add a lot to India's health care system
EFFORT VS EFFECT
The government's attempts to ensure quality drugs is evident, but how well new policies can be monitored on the ground remains to be seen
A way to let go of fear
Accepting the use of adult diapers is a journey with various stages-denial, concealment, rejection and reluctance
Mandeeps & a miracle
Two strangers, one deadly disease and an act of kindness. How Mandeep Mann saved Mandeep Singh, an acute leukaemia patient, by donating his stem cells
The A, B, C of cosmetic surgery
Between eight to 10 lakh cosmetic surgeries happen in India every year. Who is an ideal candidate, and what are the risks and results you can expect?
Vaccines and meningitis
In sub-Saharan Africa, from Senegal in the west to Ethiopia in the east, and encompassing the northern part of Nigeria, there exists a region known as the African Meningitis Belt (AMB).
Celebrating diversity and inclusivity
As Indians battle it out in our nation's 18th general election, it is again time for voters to reflect on the \"Idea of India\"-or rather, on two duelling ideas of India that are now before us and between which the nation must choose at the ballot box.
Defendant: an Hermès handbag
When Hermès was hit with a class-action lawsuit last month for \"antitrust\" activities, it didn't see it coming. Most of the luxury world has all eyes on this suit, filed by two interested consumers who claim they were denied a purchase, and whether it would go to trial.
A legacy, bound
Amal Allana's biography of her father, Ebrahim Alkazi, is as much personal as it is historical
