MyVoice: Views of our readers 9th May 2020

Huge compensation is not enough

The horrifying incident of gas leak in Visakhapatnam reminds us of the Bhopal gas tragedy occurred in 1984 where victims still have not got proper compensation. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy announcing huge compensation of Rs 1 crore each to the victim's families raises so many questions. Does he have any hidden political agenda?

Or is it just to silence the Opposition party? During the lockdown, why safety precautions are not followed by the polymer factory? Simply citing technical error does not reclaim the lost lives and in this way management of the factory should not play with the health of surrounding people when product requires combination of dangerous gases.

A thorough investigation must be done, and strict safety precautions should be followed, in case of any lapse license should be cancelled.

Every time when this type of incident occurs, the government simply responds by giving money to victims without taking any permanent measures to prevent similar incidents.

The government should punish those who involved in human error and take care so that these kinds of incidents do not recur.

Veereswara Rao Moola, Moradabad, UP

Medical professionals should be compassionate

Though whole country has been under lockdown condition, deaths are being recorded due to coronavirus infection and also of other reasons.

Though we are following the rules, it is important to protect the society from critical emergencies. It was distressing to read about the death of days-old infant as medical assistance was not provided by any hospital.

The parents of the deceased hopped around many hospitals to save their child from fever. But unfortunately, nobody helped them to treat the infant in the critical stage.

Clear guidelines should to be issued by the Centre as well as the State government to all medical facilities that critical illnesses must be treated on humanitarian grounds if and needed, transport facilities must be provided by means of permissions of transporting the patients to reach the emergency medical aid.

Though we are in critical situation, public representatives as well as government officials should take the responsibility of saving people from medical emergencies.

Dr Ajay Kumar Bomidi, Kakinada, AP

AP CM deserves kudos

It was shocking to learn about the pre-dawn styrene gas leak at Vizag L G Polymer Plant (of South Korea), in these testing times of coronavirus. It reminds one of the Bhopal gas tragedy occurred in 1984, in the Union Carbide company owned by America.

The eye-witnesses' and victims' version states that in the wee hours they experienced eyes-burning and breathing difficulties. When they started running for their lives, they noticed mist-like chemical engulfing them.

In this hour of crisis both the Central and the State governments have instantly swung into action by pressing the services of NDMA, NDRF, AIIMS, police, local administration, doctors etc. and saved thousands of lives by evacuating, admitting into hospitals and treating them effectively.

Effective rehabilitation steps are also being taken. Kudos to the dynamic Chief Minister of A P Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy for his rushing to the 'accident' spot and taking stock of the situation, infusing confidence in the victims, ordering an inquiry into the incident and above all the ex-gratia – Rs 1 crore to each family of the deceased in the tragedy and other proportionate and suitable amounts and accommodation to the rest of the victims, and free treatment to the admitted ones, including compensation to the owners of the animals dies in the tragedy.

Chittem Venkateswarlu, Gaddalagunta, Ongole, A P

AP handles Covid-19 crisis subtly

Andhra Pradesh rightly focused on providing access to free testing for COvid-19 pandemic. It summarily did things quietly such as obtaining rapid kits, exercising PCR-based Truenat technology and adopting a comprehensive testing stratagem with a target of 15 lakh tests.

The AP testing strategy does identify persons to be tested in accordance with the level of risk namely primary contacts living in Red Zones, elderly with co-morbidities, symptomatic and ILI cases, healthcare workers, fever cases, asymptomatic living in buffer zones, one person from every tenth household in the green zone and so on.

Various technologies are being used – Truenat, RT PCR, rapid diagnostic kits – each as per prescribed norms. Testing is the only means of getting a grip on the situation and providing confidence and integrity to assessments of future scenarios.

In case of Covid-19, the volunteers, the ASHAs and the ANMs together have been made use of for carrying out surveys, communicating preventive messages of staying home, washing hands, maintaining distance and using masks, organising quarantine arrangements and delivering rations and pensions etc.

AP is now faced with a new round of challenge in the form of migrant returnees and refurbishment of economic and social activity.

Raju Kolluru, Kakinada, AP