March, 2020 Bengaluru 25/03/2020 Day 1 Looking out from the balcony there’s complete absence of the usual noise. The stillness at 6 AM is unusual in the neighbourhood. This is a typical residential area with the usual mix of people, places and performance. I recollect a distant memory - of a morning four days back. … Continue reading Lockdown Diary: Day 1
Day 447
06/06/2021 Day 447 The week was packed with farm work. There was no space to think about anything else. In more than a year of the pandemic, there have been two short spells of 4-5 days when I haven’t managed to write the daily journal. Farming involves loads of physical work. It is exhausting and … Continue reading Day 447
Day 442: Second Wave – Observations from a small town
01/06/2021 Day 442 Second Wave - Observations from a small town Here are a few observations on healthcare services from a district town as the second wave of Covid-19 burnt through the country. In over two months of this public health and epidemic response struggle, a few things are apparent. India’s elected leaders, bureaucrats and … Continue reading Day 442: Second Wave – Observations from a small town
The many mirages in Indian agriculture
After a week of harvest and another of preparing the farm plots for next sowing season, here are some quick notes. Farm mechanisation is a serious need. The processes in small scale farming are completely manual. These are limiting the ways in which farmers organize farm processes and their ability to extract efficiencies from the … Continue reading The many mirages in Indian agriculture
Day 432: ‘Can fight Covid, not starvation’
22/05/2021 Day 432 ‘Can fight Covid, not starvation’ It is the 432nd day of the pandemic. Things lose meaning when they go on for long. The pandemic seems to be one such. The count is suffering the same fate. Yet, I keep at it. This is the only harmless continuity. The mood right now is … Continue reading Day 432: ‘Can fight Covid, not starvation’
Day 420: Looking back at India’s Containment Plan
08/05/2021 Day 420 Looking back at the Containment Plan Looking back at India’s Containment Plan of the Government of India in April 2021 it is striking that it did not build for scenarios as the current second wave. The keywords in the plan are policy decisions and technical inputs. In retrospect, that plan looks woefully … Continue reading Day 420: Looking back at India’s Containment Plan
Day 419: Vaccinating the world needs a talk first
07/05/2021 Day 419: Vaccinating the world needs a talk first By the 419th day of the pandemic, there’s a raging debate about IP on vaccines and how to speed up production. Industry associations, the EU and almost other influential trade bodies that matter in agreement that IP is not the issue in the current crisis. … Continue reading Day 419: Vaccinating the world needs a talk first
When was the last time the world cared for morality?
If there is a time since the great wars when universal values of solidarity and selfless cooperation were tested, it will be now. It will pivot on the issue of sharing the intellectual property rights for Covid-19 vaccines. Pfizer has raised its vaccine sales forecast to USD 26 billion. The company is hopeful about a … Continue reading When was the last time the world cared for morality?
‘Let me go build a free hospital’: Indian Healthcare and CMC Vellore’s history
In thinking about healthcare systems - capability and capacity, a broad consensus in India is that the Indian state has failed in providing it. This diagnosis is broadly accepted. However, in thinking about responses to address the problems, it might be useful to not be completely led by experiences in the private sector - there … Continue reading ‘Let me go build a free hospital’: Indian Healthcare and CMC Vellore’s history
Covid Cess: We will be paying for the pandemic for years
Taking the cess route to raise more revenues by the states and central governments was expected. As the pandemic hit a year's mark in March, 2021 it was clear that the people will be paying for the pandemic for years to come and in a variety of ways. Uttar Pradesh government is levying a covid … Continue reading Covid Cess: We will be paying for the pandemic for years
Day 415: What’s wrong?
03/05/2021 Day 415: What's going wrong? More of watching the pandemic unfolding and governments’ response today. The trend maintains itself - as a state climbs up the chart of number of infections and deaths there begins a rapid regulatory failure of its key agencies. Drug regulator failed long back when the run on remdesivir began. … Continue reading Day 415: What’s wrong?
