Pandemic

The Caravan reports on the state of frontline workers who have been forced to rise up in protest even as they lead the battle against the pandemic. Faced with unacceptable working conditions, inadequate staffing, low salaries, long hours of work, lack of PPEs, etc, they had reached the end of the tether. The government’s response to their issues have been intimidation or apathy.The story brought the abysmal state of India’s healthcare workers, accentuated by the pandemic, to the fore. It highlighted the almost criminal negligence of India’s health infrastructure for the greater part of seven decades and the price that is being paid now for the continued apathy and inattention.

The Ken reported on how fake certifications and irregularities in tendering process compromised procurement of critical medical equipment like ventilators during the pandemic. The Ken's story forced the Delhi bureaucracy to take note of the issue and immediately change, and plug the holes, in the procurement process.

The Wire’s correspondent visited two Thane-run hospitals and found doctors treating patients without any personal protective equipment (PPE) whatsoever. This when the area had eight COVID-19 positive cases When the reporter approached the officials for their version, she was threatened with being booked under the Epidemic Diseases Act. Unfazed by the threats, the story was filed and published by The Wire. And the hospitals got their supply of PPEs within 24-hours!