India's fight against COVID - The Success story

-- Nakul Agal, IX-D, Indian English Academy School

Monday, January 9, 2023

India's first case of Covid was found in Kerala on 27th January, 2020. At that time nobody had expected that this virus would turn into a pandemic. Our Prime Minister declared Janta curfew on 22nd March, 2020 because of this pandemic. “Thali Bajao” and “Diya Jalao” campaigns also took place on the same day. This was to salute and motivate all those people who were working day and night to make the crisis survivable i.e. doctors, nurses, police, hospital staff, sanitation workers and delivery staff and they also came to be known as 'National Saviours'. This event was a great success and a symbol of great patriotism for the country to fight against the pandemic crisis and brought 100 billion population at one page and united this diversified country.

The first lockdown in India took place on 24th March, 2020. This helped slow down the spread rate of the virus. It played a major role to control the rapid spread of the virus very effectively as compared to other developed nation. In the lockdown, the government handled the supplying of basic needs (like medicines, food stuffs, vegetable etc.) very efficiently.

This lockdown impacted in a big way to everyone especially workers who were working as labourers in big cities and far from their home place. They were jobless and they wanted to migrate to their home-towns. Some celebrities came forward to help these migrating people and then the government also took many initiatives to provide maximum help in migration of workers like bus services, train services etc. It was a very commendable job.

In that high pandemic time, India made an air bubble plan along with 37 countries and it worked very efficiently in rescuing the Indian students from Wuhan, China as well as some other countries and it was very successful.

India preferred made in India Covid vaccine rather than imported vaccines because India believes in 'Make in India' concept. And so on 16th January, 2020, India developed it's own Covid vaccine (Covaxin by Bharat Biotech and Covishield by Pune Serum Institute). It was a great achievement. In January 2021 India launched the vaccine Maitri (Vaccine friendship) initiative to supply made in India vaccine to low and developing countries in the world. India supplied vaccines to 98 countries of the world and over 235 million total supplies of vaccine.

The second wave started on 13th March, 2021 in India. It was deadliest wave. This wave also affected many countries of the world very badly.

At this time due to the second wave, there was a huge requirement of oxygen. Thus Oxygen Expresses were started by Indian Railways on 24th April, 2021 to provide respite to Indian states requiring oxygen. More than 35000 MT of oxygen was transported to 15 states. Around 480 Oxygen Expresses were operationalised. It was a well-managed effort and it sorted out the panic situation.

India also organised the world's fastest vaccination drive. In a historic achievement, India's cumulative Covid 19 vaccination drive has surpassed the 2 million milestone on 17th July, 2022. A total of 2,00,00,15,631 doses have been administered across the country. It showed how efficient India can be in adverse effects. Not only that, India is the world's first country that developed intra-nasal vaccine for Covid 19. Despite of all limitations India successfully handled the pandemic situation.

THANK YOU

Nakul Agal, IX-D, Indian English Academy School