Virus fears for loved ones as crisis in India deepens
Families today told of their feeling of helplessness as the Covid crisis continues to escalate in India.
The country is now at the epicentre of the global outbreak, recording record infections and deaths on a daily basis.
Hospitals across the country are running out of beds and oxygen, while testing facilities are being overwhelmed and crematoria are working around the clock.
The Indian community in the West Midlands is keeping in touch with friends and family through social media and Zoom calls.
Ravinder Pal Singh Kohli and Sarbjit Singh say they know people who have tested positive as infectious variants rip through the population.
Mr Kohli, who is media director for the charity Sikh Global Vision and a member of the Guru Teg Bahadur Gurdwara, said: “I know many people in the country who have been affected by Covid, maybe around 12 or 13 people, and at least three of them are very serious and fighting for their lives.
“I also know of people who have died because of this virus in Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh and it’s been such an awful experience to hear about it.”
Guru Nanak Gurdwara Smethwick education secretary Sarbjit Singh said he had family living in the Punjab and near Delhi, but said they had been lucky so far.
He said: “I don’t know of anyone in my family who has had the virus in either parts of the country, but I do know the areas around them have been badly affected by it.”
Both men spoke about the issues people had been facing in the country, with Mr Kohli speaking about a scarcity of treatment options for people.
He said: “In India, there is no such system as a social welfare or NHS system and while there are government hospitals, they mostly have very minimal services.
“There seems to be a situation where people might go to one of those hospitals and not come out for a month, or people with deep pockets pay for private treatment and are back on the street in a week.
“There is also a situation where a Covid vaccination jab is costing 500 rupees, or £5, each, which is a lot of money for people, especially for those with large families.”
Mr Singh said he had heard about the lack of beds and oxygen and, like Mr Kohli, had been told about people being charged to receive the vaccination.
He said: “I was really shocked to hear that in some places, the vaccine was free, but in other places, it was costing 750 rupees, which is about £7.50.
“That means a daily worker who earns 200 rupees a day is suddenly having to pay around 1,000 rupees for himself and all his family.
“It really feels like there are people who are just exploiting the vulnerable for profit.”
Both men also said the behaviour of a lot of people had been a contributing factor, saying that large groups and celebrations involving thousands of people had not helped.
Mr Singh said: “The behaviour needs to change, both by the government and by the public, as the virus hasn’t gone away.
“There have been government rallies and religious festivals and those have been trigger points, as well as the slow roll-out of the vaccine.”
Mr Kohli said: “I feel people have been told the areas are Covid-free and have been told to go out and celebrate Diwali and Christmas.
“There were millions of people who went down to the Ganges river for a Hindu festival and I feel in the densely populated areas, people haven’t been wearing masks or caring about hygiene.”
In regards to support they can give people back in India, both men said there wasn’t a lot they could directly do, but would help where they could.
Mr Kohli said: “We can’t do much right now apart from tell our relatives and friends in India to stay indoors and wash their hands at all times.
“The difficulty with sending over funding is having a network to distribute it, which we do not have, unfortunately.”
Mr Singh said the congregation at the Gurdwara had been sending money back to family in India to help with the vaccination programme and was also offering vaccination advice and help.
He said: “We are offering support by advising people to go and get vaccinated and make them aware of the need as I know a lot of people who are reluctant to get it.
“I’m consistently on the phone with my family to make sure they get it and don’t leave it and I would say to everyone to get the vaccination.”
