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This Article is From Apr 18, 2021

Experts, Leaders Discuss India's Coronavirus Crisis On Solutions Summit: Highlights

India saw the deadliest day of the pandemic as 1,501 deaths were recorded in the last 24 hours.

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India News Posted by
Updated : April 18, 2021 8:47 pm IST

This is the fourth straight day in India when over 2 lakh cases have been recorded.

New Delhi:

As the ravaging coronavirus pandemic keeps the country in its tight grip, India looks for solutions to fight the crisis. At "The Solution Summit: India vs Covid" today NDTV discusses with several chief ministers of states, health ministers, doctors and influencers to discuss the raging pandemic and ways to tackle the crisis.

India saw the deadliest day of the pandemic as 1,501 deaths were recorded in the last 24 hours. The country also recorded the biggest daily surge in cases with 2,61,500 infections, taking the caseload to 1.47 crore total cases.

This is the fourth straight day when over 2 lakh cases have been recorded. Over 12 lakh cases have been added to the caseload in the last one week.

Here are the highlights of the Solution Summit:

Apr 18, 2021 20:47 (IST)
Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Kumbh, elections amid COVID-19
  • ​We are responsible to some extent. We opposed the elections to Panchayats and local bodies. But we were shut down. The Election Commission is not putting any curbs neither are the high courts.
  • Thousands of comments against me on Twitter because of this. All parties are conducting rallies.
  • In politics, karyakartas don't leave the leaders. So they have to go. So, courts and the poll body should have taken a decision.
  • What the PM said about the Kumbh yesterday should have been said sooner. Uttaraakhand Chief Minister's comments must have not been made (taking dips in Ganga will keep Covid away).
  • Last time everyone followed SOPs and guidelines. This time also that should have been done.
  • Last time villages had fewer infections. But this time Covid has spread to the villages. Kumbh returnees will spread the infections now.
Apr 18, 2021 19:50 (IST)
NITI Aayog member VK Paul on measures to fight COVID-19

Apr 18, 2021 19:47 (IST)
Medanta's Dr Naresh Trehan on healthcare infrastructure amid second wave of Covid
  • All hospitals are on the brink with patients outside. If we don't address this, there might be a law and order situation and chaos.
  • Do not panic without medical health.
  • We create halfway facilities that can be monitored by us. Like, hotels.
  • We are anticipating a drug shortage. Remdesivir has become a holy grail. Oxygen is the more difficult one to acquire.
  • We need to put our heads together and accommodate more people.
Apr 18, 2021 19:42 (IST)
NITI Aayog's Dr VK Paul on Covid crisis

Apr 18, 2021 19:41 (IST)
NITI Aayog member VK Paul on breaking the chain of Covid
  • Of the 150, 82 oxygen plants have been developed. A massive import of oxygen is underway.
  • Supervised and facilitated home-care is an important suggestion to reduce dependence on beds.
  • Don't go out. Wear masks. Stop the chain.
  • Restrictions in a graded way needed without a complete lockdown.
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Apr 18, 2021 19:36 (IST)
Wockhardt hospital's Zahabiya Khorakiwala on Covid management
We never anticipated the numbers. The first time around we are grappling with the newness of the disease. Now we are grappling with the resources to treat the disease.

  • Supply of oxygen: we are securing the supply and are diverting oxygen from other places.
  • Vaccination is the only thing that is going to see us through Covid
Apr 18, 2021 19:34 (IST)
Fortis Healthcare's Dr Ashutosh Raghuvanshi on healthcare and Covid
  • There are multiple dimensions to the whole issue. The private hospitals have always worked with public ones. Regulations are needed.
  • Private healthcares are judged at a higher level.
  • Hospitals are struggling and overwhelmed. This is unprecedented - the ferocity and the speed of the virus. Hospitals were better prepared. None of the major players faced any problems in the supply chain. Hospitals were better prepared to isolate areas and convert large parts of hospitals into Covid facilities.
  • Private healthcare cannot be a substitute for public healthcare. They must work together.
Apr 18, 2021 19:30 (IST)
Max Healthcare's Dr Abhay Soi on vaccine hesitancy
  • First and foremost, the problem is vaccine-hesitancy. We saw very few people coming forward before April 1. Even now the numbers are low. This might be due to everything they are reading on WhatsApp and other media.
  • The way forward is vaccinating as many people as possible. The hesitancy needs to go.
  • If you open up for all, it will lead to chaos because of the population.
  • Less than 5o per cent are showing up for vaccinations.
Apr 18, 2021 19:27 (IST)
Manipal hospital's Dr Sudarshan Ballal on stemming the virus spread
  • There are two aspects to the tsunami of coronavirus: breaking the chain and taking care of those already infected. Hospital beds are very, very precious. Must save them for those in dire need. Large number of cases can be managed at homes, hotels and Covid care centres. We have a large number of non-Covid patients whose lives we cannot sacrifice.
  • We have to curb down on rallies, protests and gathering. Ramp up testing, tracking, treating and vaccines.
Apr 18, 2021 19:25 (IST)
Medanta's Dr Naresh Trehan on healthcare infrastructure amid second wave of Covid
We don't want to create chaos. In the second wave, young are getting infected. Maybe in the coming four weeks, we will get more vaccines. The public have to assume the responsibility.

The hospitals are filled with elderlies who have been infected by the young.

Government must respond from their end. There is no point of blame game. This is a war. We have to ramp up many things. Now Piyush Goyal is saying if transporting oxygen from steel plants is a problem, we might have to put beds with the plants.
Apr 18, 2021 19:20 (IST)
Apollo Hospitals Group's Shobana Kamineni oon second wave of pandemic
  • Covid's been around for a year. We let our guard down. Hospitals went back to business as usual. And this hit us hard.
  • The doubling rate has increased. The mortality rate has come down. There are better medicines.
  • On the roads, people are not wearing masks.
  • We don't want a lockdown. It kills livelihoods. But if this continues, Dr Paul must decide on it too.
  • We are doing everything. We are not there yet. Please expect another month of this trauma.
Apr 18, 2021 19:17 (IST)
NITI Aayog's VK Paul On Covid Vaccine
Sputnik in a systemic way decided to conduct trials and when their vaccine matured, we gave them the license. Why did Pfizer not do this? They applied and didn't appear.

We are in touch with Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson from Day 1. We kept asking them to come and test and manufacture.

PM Modi held meetings to improve the situation in states.

It must be admitted, the speed at which the virus returned it was not scientifically anticipated.
Apr 18, 2021 19:13 (IST)
VK Paul on Covid vaccine shortage
  • We had a blueprint to tackle the situation even if cases reach the 3-lakh mark, we had blueprint to tackle it even the district level.We had two vaccine manufacturers. We held their hands and helped them. We had asked them if they needed financial help. They said no. But now, it has come to financial help.
  • A significant part of the export was a part of the deal of the Indian firm with Astrazeneca. Only because of this agreement, Astrazeneca came to India. Another part was WHO programme which made it necessary to provide vaccine to poor countries. Then, under Vaccine Maitri, 10 million doses were exported to friendly nations.
Apr 18, 2021 19:06 (IST)
Niti Aayog's VK Paul on importance of Covid-appropriate behaviour
  • The blueprint for this was made in September was escalating. Unfortunately, the lull in case, the fatigue in the system resulted in the tsunami of cases when the second wave came.
  • The important thing we need to talk about is behaviour. People are still not wearing masks even now.
  • The SOPs for both of these events (Kumbh, election) should have been followed in letter and spirit. But, our main focus should be the behaviour



Apr 18, 2021 18:53 (IST)
Uday Kotak on decentralisation in Covid management
  • On one hand, there are advantages of decentralisation and on the othert, here is risk of chaos. We need a balance. It can only happen if India functions as one seamless country by going beyond political differences.
  • Most large corporations have come forward to help with the oxygen.


Apr 18, 2021 18:50 (IST)
CII President Uday Kotak on Covid strategy
We have to focus on these areas

  • Here and now- Bed capacity, medicine capacity, vaccination and oxygen
  • Behaviour and actions and govt actions: What healthcare experts are telling us about hospital capacity. Now I am hearing it is airborne. We are all grappling and groping in the dark about the virus. Take decisions on containment and restrictions. Don't rely on public opinion.We need to go with the expert view in terms of hospital capacity and how do we manage the caseload and restrictions and containment
  • Lives and livelihood - Ensure we don't lose more live through loss of livelihoods. We saw the migrants situation last year. So before taking any decision must consider the consequences.
Apr 18, 2021 18:44 (IST)
Industry body on Covid strategy
  • Even in the first wave, CII got large companies to put together the CSR plans and also small companies with small budget with CSR plans.
  • The work from home has become far more streamlined. In manufacturing, you need people on the floor.
  • We are hoping that this wave is a shorter wave.
Apr 18, 2021 18:39 (IST)
Industry body on shortage of drugs, vaccine and oxygen
  • Things have changed so much. We are saying that do whatever it takes to ensure production, supply and distribution. This now is no longer limited to vaccines but also includes oxygen, etc.
  • A lot of partnership and bold steps required to cut any red tapes. Must ramp up production.
  • We need to do whatever it takes to address the situation at hand.
  • We had a set of rules dictated by scientists and health experts. That needs to be tweaked and changed since it spreads in closed environment.
Apr 18, 2021 18:36 (IST)
Industry body on keeping the balance between economy and Covid management
  • Increase vaccine supply
  • Ensure social distancing because a lot of our industry workforce is below 45
  • We are ready to help the government in any way needed and possible
  • The super spreader events must be banned. Not more than 10 people should be allowed.
  • We are trying to balance lives and livelihoods. We are not US or Europe. We cannot keep pumping money in.
Apr 18, 2021 18:34 (IST)
CII president on lockdown
  • Vaccination should be opened to all age groups
  • Vaccination drive must be accelerated
  • Quick action must be taken by the government
  • Lockdown is not a solution in the present times




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