Publication: KERALA CALLING , APRIL 2020
In In just three months time, a mysterious illness that was first reported in Wuhan city in the Hubei province of China has put the world to a standstill. The cause of this illness was ascertained to be a novel Coronavirus – SARS-CoV-2, and the World Health Organization has named the disease COVID-19. More than 13 lakh people have been infected with this disease around the world, and the death has crossed 75,000. In India, more than 5,000 positive cases have been reported, and the deaths have crossed the 150 mark.
As on 8th April 2020, 259 people are undergoing treatment for COVID-19 in Kerala. We have cured 84 patients and restricted the mortality to 2 (0.58%). So far, even when highly developed countries have faltered against the novel Coronavirus, we have been able to put up stiff resistance. We hope to retain this momentum, flatten the curve and ultimately emerge victorious in this long-drawn battle.
Detection and Containment
Kerala had started preparing for this new infectious disease as early as the third week of January itself. With the disease spreading further internationally and with an increase in the number of people coming to Kerala from foreign countries, the possibility of COVID-19 being reported in the state was taken seriously. On January 24, a control room was set up in the Directorate of Health Services. On January 25, required guidelines were issued to health officials and local self governments on the measures to be adopted. By January 28, control rooms were set up in the districts as well.
Right from the very beginning, we have been screening and quarantining people coming in from infected areas. Contacts of positive cases have been rigorously traced and placed under observation. While taking these precautionary measures to prevent the spread of the virus, we have also been testing at a rate that is unmatched by any other State, to accurately ascertain the spread. To date, 11,986 samples have been tested in Kerala. As there was a progressive swell in the cases, we went into lockdown, even before it was announced at the national level. Once we announced a lockdown, public transport facilities were discontinued and the State’s borders were closed down. At the same time, emergency services, hospitals, and medical stores have been allowed to function as usual. Stores selling essential articles are allowed to open for a fixed period of time. Restaurants are allowed to offer takeaway and delivery facilities. We are ensuring adequate stock of grain and allowing movement of goods from across the State’s borders to facilitate the supply of food as well. Personnel are being deployed in a phased manner to ensure that the government offices are functioning.
Financial Assistance
When there is a restriction on the movement of and interaction between people, it affects social and economic life. Well seized of this, and much before going into lockdown, on March 18 itself, the Government of Kerala announced a package to the tune of Rs. 20,000 Cr to tide over the ensuing crisis. Rs. 1,320 Cr has been set apart to disburse welfare pensions in advance, for two months, in March itself. This was disbursed already and before April 14, the government is planning to give welfare pension for five more months. For this, the government has to sanction Rs. 2730 Cr.
Rs. 100 Cr has been set apart to provide assistance of Rs 1,000 each for families that are not eligible for welfare pensions. In the next two months, loans to the tune of Rs. 2,000 Cr will be disbursed through the Kudumbashree scheme. The interest component will be borne entirely by the state government. Rs. 2,000 Cr will be utilized to provide work under the employment guarantee scheme.
Rs. 500 Cr has been set apart for the additional expenses incurred in public health on account of COVID-19 care. Food grain worth Rs. 100 Cr will be distributed to eligible families through the public distribution system. Apart from this Rs. 350 Cr was allotted from Chief Minister’s Distress Relief Fund to procure and distribute a kit with essential provisions to 87 lakh ration cardholders. Rs. 50 Cr will be utilized to provide meals at just Rs. 20, as part of the Hunger-Free Kerala project. 1,323 community kitchens were set up in the length and breadth of the state. They cater to the neediest and serve meals thrice a day free of cost and those who could pay at a rate of Rs. 25 for the takeaway meal. In the state budget, it was declared that they would be set up in September to provide meals at Rs. 25.
Rs. 14,000 Cr will be utilized to clear all pending payments of the state government to institutions and individuals. Thus, Rs. 20,000 Cr is being infused into the state’s economy on an emergency basis.Assistance is being provided through the 44 welfare funds to artists, temple employees, madrassa teachers, head load and abkari workers, workers in various fields like construction, textiles, shops and so on as well. The fitness fee for auto rickshaws and taxis have been relaxed. Relaxation of one month will be provided in the quarterly taxes of stage carriages and contract carriages. Concessions worth Rs. 23.60 Cr are being allowed in this manner. Electricity and water bills can be paid with a delay of up to one month without any fines. Entertainment tax on movie theatres has been waived for a month as well. Apart from the emergency infusion of cash into the economy, relaxations are also being provided to help people to overcome the crisis.
Focused Interventions
Discussions have been held with organizations of traders and businessmen to ensure adequate availability of essential materials during these times. Online facilities are being set up to ensure the delivery of essential articles, including vegetables and pulses to families during this lockdown. Voluntary services of organizations are being ensured to assist people in need. Books are being made available to those in quarantine with the assistance of publishing houses. Sufficient internet bandwidth is also being ensured, following discussions with service providers, so that while people stay at home, they have sufficient means of communication and entertainment. BSNL Kerala has announced that it will provide free data of 5 GB per day for a month, to their broadband customers.
A meeting of the State Level Bankers Committee was held, to persuade them to not undertake recovery proceedings during this time of economic turmoil and to provide relaxations on interests and repayments. Even the Kerala High Court had made a favorable verdict in this regard. But, on the Centre’s insistence, the Supreme Court has stayed it. Even while moving towards a lockdown, we took all measures to ensure the protection of life. For life to sustain, it requires health and economic activity. The Government of Kerala has continuously worked to ensure both, in these challenging times. We did not simply ask the people to stay at home; we even ensured that they would be able to sustain themselves while staying at home.
We have hired additional health personnel to further strengthen our public health care system. Around 1, 73,000 beds have been arranged specifically for COVID-19 patients. Hospital beds, ICUs and ventilators are also being mobilized as required. Buildings that can serve as isolation wards have been identified, sanitized and prepared, with the help of youth and voluntary organizations. A special action plan has been undertaken in districts where the incidence of the disease has been comparatively higher. In just a few days, a hospital dedicated to treating COVID-19 patients was made fully functional in Kasargod. This pandemic manifests itself as a health emergency as well as an economic crisis. We are dealing with both.Innovation and Optimization
Concerted efforts have been made to ensure adequate domestic production and distribution of respirators, ventilators, oxygen cylinders, biomedical instruments, and personal protection equipment and N95 masks for health care workers. The Super Fab Lab in Kochi under the aegis of the Kerala Startup Mission, industry partners and research institutions have been brought together, and a cluster of innovators and investors has been formed at the Industrial Park in Kanjikode, Palakkad in this regard. In a short span of time, we were able to develop a functioning prototype of an emergency ventilator system based on an Artificial Manual Breathing Unit (AMBU), with locally available materials, on an open-source platform.
WHO has repeatedly been asking countries to test more and more. The experience of countries that have been able to contain the spread of the virus point to how essential is mass and rapid testing. Now, Kerala has developed kiosks locally for this purpose. Our Walk-in Sample Kiosk (WISK) keeps health workers safe while collecting samples. That is a model initially put forth by South Korea. We are imbibing knowledge from around the world, in our fight against this pandemic
“Physical Distance, Social Unity”
As far as Kerala goes, the repeated onslaughts of viruses and contagious diseases have increased the resilience of our public health system. It has helped us to understand our pitfalls and undertake remedial measures. Experience from around the world in combating COVID-19 underlines the necessity of robust public health care systems. Imbibing that lesson, we have taken adequate measures to strengthen Kerala’s public health system. It needs to be noted that the capacity building undertaken through the Aardram Mission has helped us immensely at this time. We have also ensured that society moves forward as one, to survive this crisis. Our motto in dealing with COVID-19 has been ‘physical distance, social unity’. To keep the society together, we are keeping them informed at every turn, through press meets and official channels of communication, including social media.
We are facing a very extraordinary challenge. All our systems, commitment, love towards fellow human beings, are being combined for us to move forward. This pandemic has brought many developed countries to a standstill. Kerala is giving a tough fight, to curtail the spread of this virus. In order to stop it, we are working together. The State Government of Kerala is leading this fight right from the forefront.
