DEATH WON’T WAIT
The foremost task before the State administration and the Central relief agencies today is to contain the scourge of cholera among the Bangladesh evacuees. A few thousands have already died; thousands have been affected and lakhs are exposed to infection and death. Never before, since independence has this country faced such a massive challenge requiring a total pool of resources and organizing abilities. Vaccine and essential medical equipment may be in short supply; so are doctors and nurses. But help has begun to arrive from many countries and international agencies. From Britain and West Germany, Denmark and Australia, the U.S.A., and WHO large quantities of relief and medical supplies are being airlifted to Calcutta. India too has its own facilities for manufacturing vaccines. Shortage of medicines and equipment, therefore, is, or soon going to be, less urgent a problem than the regrettable failure, noticed so far, in mobilization of resources, whatever there are, and executive efficiency. It is preposterous that huge consignments of medicine and relief material arriving from abroad should lie uncleared at Calcutta airport, while men are dying like flies from hunger and disease. Shortage of resources can be a legitimate excuse; apathy and incompetence cannot.
Pity, and it is a reflection on civil administration, that in every emergency in this country the thoughts of the people turn to the Army. Perhaps the Army has a different and more vital role to play, but the problem of maintaining a few millions of destitutes in moderately good shape, even for six months which New Delhi, heaven knows why, is never tired of stressing, is too difficult to be tackled by volunteers however well-meaning, and salaried recruits who have no experience in co-operative effort. Since death does not wait and an effective civil machinery takes time to develop, if it is at all possible, the immediate task will be to set up a central medical command with senior army officers of the medical corps and raise an army of medical students and attendants to treat the sick and inoculate the entire population of this State against cholera and gastro-enteritis which are raging like bush-fire among the refugees. If efficient steps are not taken to control the stocks of medical supplies and dispatch them in the right quantities hastily where needed, wastage and theft will ruin all our plans and efforts. [Editorial]
Reference: Hindustan Standard, 09.06.1971