EDITORS' PICK

Chennai has seen an unprecedented spike in COVID-19 cases in recent months. This has resulted in many individuals affected by the illness having to be hospitalised or placed in home isolation. During this time, individuals and families have found it difficult to access medicines, groceries and other essentials. Chennai's cyclists have come together in this hour of need to provide this important service, free of cost to those in need. The idea of Relief Riders originated from cyclists in Bengaluru and was later replicated by Chennai, Hyderabad, Mumbai and Jaipur cyclists. At the end of April, Felix John - Bicycle…

While it is now widely acknowledged that vaccines hold the key to our fight against COVID-19, the vaccination drive in India's cities appear to have hit a major roadblock and the daily coverage is far below what would have been a desirable target. The vaccination drive in Chennai began along with the rest of the country on January 16th. First in line were the healthcare and frontline workers, the drive then gradually expanded to cover those over 60 years of age and then those above the age of 45. Finally, from May 1st, it was declared that all those above…

Chennai-based freelance writer Divya Sainathan’s mother-in-law, R Gayathri, spent two weeks at the hospital for COVID treatment as she had 75% infection in both lungs. She needed 15 litres of oxygen per day at the time of her admission. It was brought down to 1 litre over two weeks. “At this point, we were asked to take her home, because the only service she needed at the hospital was oxygen. We were told to get an oxygen concentrator at home and monitor her SpO2 levels every two hours. If it fell below 92 for two hours, we were asked to…

The second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic is devastating India with a huge chunk of the population testing positive for the virus, exacerbating the challenges of an inadequate and already-burdened healthcare system. Lack of sufficient healthcare equipment such as oxygen concentrators, ICUs and ventilators have left hundreds of serious patients scrounging for beds and medicines. In the light of the ongoing crisis, the apartment management software platform ADDA in collaboration with Citizen Matters, organised a webinar on the topic 'COVID Management in Residential Communities'. From (L-R): Vikram Rai, General Secretary of Bangalore Apartment Federation, Anish Nema, EC Member, Prestige Ferns Residency,…

As Chennai battles the second wave of COVID-19, a complete lockdown has beee imposed for 15 days until May 24th, with the possibility of an extension. Various organisations and individuals have come together to support those affected by the pandemic and the lockdown by providing meals, door delivery of essentials and raising funds for medical supplies. The following is a non-exhaustive list of ongoing efforts to help those in need in the city. While the information has been vetted, the situation on the ground is dynamic. Fundraisers Tamil Nadu Chief Minister's Public Relief Fund The TN CM's relief fund accepts…

Indulekha (name changed) from ECR nearly had a nervous breakdown when her father’s oxygen saturation levels dipped to 78. COVID treatment for her 72-year-old father at a private hospital was something she could not consider. “They quoted a sum of Rs 2 lakh a day for ventilator support. How can a lower middle class family like ours ever afford it?” Indulekha questioned. Her only choice was to go for the government hospitals.  On May 4th, the family waited outside the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital and Stanley Medical College hospital for hours, in vain. “Multiple calls to the 104 helpline…

Last year a nationwide lockdown was suddenly imposed with barely four hours notice, the lockdown this year is a lot different.  For one, the Maharashtra government seems to be more in control. Maharashtra consulted with several stakeholders before imposing the lockdown and considered their views before imposing restrictions.  There have been no sudden announcements this year. In fact, before introducing a fresh round of restrictions, there are enough hints thrown in from the government to prevent panic in the people.  Though the complete day lockdown was introduced only from April 21, 2021, the state’s health minister Rajesh Tope kept referring…

Describing her lockdown experience in a basti (settlement) in Mumbai, 15-year-old Saniya’s rap song captures the isolation that has given the year 2020 the epithet of ‘The Year We Lost’. The suspension of daily rhythms, coupled with a warped sense of time and subsequent loneliness—despite being surrounded by millions of other people—is a feeling many resonate with, as cities around the world fell into a disquieting silence. Yet, even as India went into one of the strictest lockdowns in the world with barely four hours notice, this sensation was amplified for already vulnerable groups such as adolescent girls. As school gates were locked and public…

The Maharashtra government’s handling of the 2021 lockdown holds lessons for students of public policy about how a simple tweak in government attitude and policy could prevent so many tragedies and prove beneficial for so many. In April 2020, the sudden closure of rail services and public transport forced migrant workers in many states to flee on trucks, cycles, cement mixers and on foot for hundreds of kilometers back to their villages facing death, starvation and suffering.  Forced by the public outcry, the railways did start Shramik trains. But the 4621 Shramik trains that ferried 63 lakh passengers in 2020-21…

School seems a memory of the remote past. The play dates have stopped too. Add to it a general sense of foreboding, constant restrictions and in some cases, illness and death witnessed in very close circles. Children, both my own and among friends and family I've spoken to, are terrified with what's going on. They're also lost and confused. First, they're afraid of catching the virus themselves. My 8-year old keeps smelling things all day to ensure he hasn't lost his sense of smell. If he feels hot (it's summer), he asks us to take his temperature. If his legs…