Fair and unfair in COVID times..Indian situation
By vanny
@vandana7 (98700)
India
May 5, 2021 3:12am CST
We have people making hay in the sunshine.
Medicines are bought in bulk and sold at a premium, without income tax authorities being able to trace the monies. We call it black money or black market.
Likewise, hospital beds are booked in bulk and people have to pay huge sums to get them. Oxygen cylinders too.
Again wrong.
What is not wrong is ambulance drivers asking higher amount for taking covid patients around.
After all, their risk increases and they have to pay the same charges for hospitalization, should they or their loved ones get sick.
What is also wrong is government discriminating the incentives to doctors, nurses, attendants, etc. So doctors get higher incentives, nurses slightly lower, and attendants even lower. The risk as you would realize is more for the attendants followed by nurses, and then the doctors. In any event, COVID treatment costs are same across the board. So why have lower incentives for retired attendants and nurses?
I would have all these people get special allowance and in addition a kinda new financial instrument created specially for covid era in which if the ambulance driver, attendants, nurses, etc., and their families become covid patients they would be entitled to draw from that financial instrument. It would be something like an insurance product bought by those who avail their services. Effectively, they are incentivized and also assured safety for self and families. The more people they take around or serve, the more coverage they have. Burden on those who avail services would also be lower.
As to drugs O2 cylinders and hospital beds black marketers, I would try them for murder.
16 people like this
15 responses
@vandana7 (98700)
• India
5 May 21
@ZedSmart Why would a person take risk of traveling for seven to ten hours only to get no help in flight if the condition aggravates? :)
Rich cannot fly to other countries for COVID treatment simply because there are rules and regulations that require them to show results of covid test three days prior to departure. In addition, there are countries that prevent arrival from countries where covid situation is bad.
Rich can at the most afford to buy that covid bed for 10000 dollars with ventilator. That is the going rate.
3 people like this
@erictsuma (9726)
• Mombasa, Kenya
5 May 21
It's really a difficult moment for the people of India right now because of the Covid19 and it's true some people are taking advantage of the situation to get rich illegally. It's our duty to pray together for the people of India and the world at learge to fight the pandemic.
4 people like this
@DaddyEvil (137145)
• United States
5 May 21
You need to run for president of India and kick pony out of the job. He isn't doing things right there.
3 people like this
@vandana7 (98700)
• India
7 May 21
@DaddyEvil I did not say he is a bad president. I said he has diarrhea. You are presuming a president who has diarrhea is a bad president.
1 person likes this
Why would that make him a bad president?
@vandana7 (98700)
• India
5 May 21
It is the most powerless situation. Journalists get to tell you what to do or contort whatever you say. Then the party politics system is pathetic. Whether we agree or not, we have to toe the line. At least, I can make people think elsewhere. Have similar things happened at your end too?
2 people like this
@DaddyEvil (137145)
• United States
5 May 21
I just told her the same thing. She needs to kick @TheHorse out of the President of India's seat and take the reins. He's not doing a good job there.
3 people like this
@lovinangelsinstead21 (36850)
• Pamplona, Spain
5 May 21
Very sorry to hear that vanny.
One of our best Journalists last week dedicated more than half his program to the plight of India.
He is trying to make us aware of what the news does not tell us.
It was heart rendering to watch and have sent out many "wishes" for people to get well.
Black market things have been around over here too as its not over yet by far at least not this side of the country.
1 person likes this
@lovinangelsinstead21 (36850)
• Pamplona, Spain
6 May 21
@vandana7
I guess its the way of the world at the moment.
We have a lot of political stuff going on over here and some of its awful and other stuff not so bad.
I am glad that they focused on the health care over there even if they did lose the Election.
1 person likes this
@sjvg1976 (41132)
• Delhi, India
5 May 21
Yesterday only I went to a hospital as my brother in law was not getting a bed in a nearby hospital but I could not get the bed in any hospital. They are giving the bed to a known person or to the people who bribe them. The situation is not too good in Delhi
2 people like this
@vandana7 (98700)
• India
6 May 21
Hope you all were able to find a bed.
This government has thoroughly mismanaged the COVID issue. Absolutely no idea about infections, and in all probability whatever Dr. Harshavardhan was saying was overridden.
There is a reason people who are not graduate and do not have at least 10 years work experience should not be elected. They do not have dynamic approach to problems.
1 person likes this
@vandana7 (98700)
• India
6 May 21
@sjvg1976 I feel every building should buy oxygen concentrators. We are better off isolating the person at home with oxygen concentrators than sending family member to hospitals where the air would be contaminated, and probability of somebody being careless increases a lot.
1 person likes this
@FourWalls (61904)
• United States
5 May 21
First, I'm glad to see you here and know that you're doing well. I pray you stay safe from the virus.
Secondly, there's a lot of complaints about all of our government regulations, but at least we don't have these problems here in the States. That might be why we're turning the corner and your country is suffering with an uptick.
Please stay safe and healthy!!! (I can't handle Pony alone!! 
)
Secondly, there's a lot of complaints about all of our government regulations, but at least we don't have these problems here in the States. That might be why we're turning the corner and your country is suffering with an uptick.
Please stay safe and healthy!!! (I can't handle Pony alone!! )1 person likes this
@LindaOHio (155469)
• United States
5 May 21
I agree with you 100% Retailers in the US are raising prices and taking advantage of the COVID-19 situation, especially for products like disinfecting wipes, etc. They are way overpriced and getting higher. Medical costs have always been high. A hospital might bill an exorbitant amount for something as simple as an aspirin.
2 people like this
@vandana7 (98700)
• India
6 May 21
We are lucky in that respect. Disinfecting wipes...are used by very few. Poor do not use them. So the manufacturers cannot afford to hike prices arbitrarily. Even sanitizers. We have many unknown brands..local brands. It just does not work out for hiking prices for those as they will lose market share. Our High Courts are planning on restricting the cost of treatment.
1 person likes this
@LindaOHio (155469)
• United States
7 May 21
@vandana7 In the US, if someone is willing to pay an unreasonable amount, then the manufacturers will keep raising prices. It's good that your court system will be controlling costs of treatment.
@mildredtabitha (16037)
• Nairobi, Kenya
6 May 21
That's very unfair.
All ambulances in my country carry patients for free
1 person likes this
@vandana7 (98700)
• India
7 May 21
@mildredtabitha Actually it is not their fault. They are scared too. If they and their loved ones get COVID, charges would not be any different from those for rich folks or others who can afford it. And the charges are substantial.
1 person likes this
@mildredtabitha (16037)
• Nairobi, Kenya
7 May 21
@vandana7 I'm very sorry. I wonder why they act as if it is someone's fault to get COVID
1 person likes this
@angelitovillegas (1215)
• Angeles City, Philippines
7 May 21
I hope madam you're safe with your loved onces. Take extra care especially this time of pandemic. We might feel afraid and hopeless but still God is in control!
