After Kumar and Govil were tested positive, the government’s first response was to downplay the news
The Shivraj Singh Chouhan-led government in Madhya Pradesh is finding itself in a tight spot in combating the Covid-19 pandemic. There is no Cabinet in place, and thus no health minister. Besides, the state health department, which was supposed to lead the fight against coronavirus, is almost defunct, with several top officials, including Pallavi Jain Govil, principal secretary (health), and J Vijay Kumar, managing director of MP Health Corporation and chief executive officer of the state’s Ayushman Bharat programme, testing positive.
‘Health’ crisis
After Kumar and Govil were tested positive, the government’s first response was to downplay the news. This resulted in the spreading of the virus among other health department officials. Until Sunday afternoon, Bhopal reported 134 confirmed Covid cases, including 80 health department officers and their family members. Even the coronavirus control room reported infections — Veena Sinha (additional director, health communication) and another official Pallav Dubey — were tested positive.
Yet, top officials were unwilling to go to hospitals for isolation. All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Bhopal Director Dr Sarman Singh wrote to Govil: “This is about the telephonic call received from your good self and Shri Faiz Ahmad Kidwai, health commissioner, regarding the unwillingness of some of your officials who are asymptomatic to get hospitalised at AIIMS, Bhopal.” Singh recommended such asymptomatic Covid-19 patients be isolated at home…Read More
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