Virus-infected Healthcare system of Mumbai is showing symptoms of failure.

Decades of neglect, unaccountability, and corruption in the Government-run hospitals of Mumbai are bearing fruits at this crucial time. I had the opportunity of visiting some of these state Run hospitals where young doctors and staff are highly hostile towards ordinary citizens. Over the years we have come across numerous news stories of hospital staff not giving dead bodies without a bribe. Even during non-covid time, we have witnessed two patients sharing one bed and another patient below the bed. The majority of the staff indulge in malpractices and are notorious Shirkers. The recent videos showing dead bodies of covid victims lying next to under-treatment patients is a classic work culture in a state-run hospital. To expect these overpaid, irresponsible Healthcare Servants to shed their skin overnight and become a dedicated, hardworking, brave Covid warriors is too much to ask. Adding to the misery is the terrible Doctor-population ratio in Mumbai, which is 54 Doctors for a lakh compare to 393 of New York and 85 in Sao-Paulo. The few good men and women who are fighting in this situation should be paid double salaries, unfortunately, except Haryana, nobody has bothered to acknowledge the risk involved and commitment of these healthcare workers.  

Dealing with this Pandamic the state government is certainly feeling the pressure. Pictures of hundreds of new beds are seen in newspapers but no word on Doctors and health care staff needed to take care of these patients. Successive Governments had ignored the need of having a good health care system in Mumbai especially considering the density of Population. Both State-run and BMC-run hospitals have the same problems. We were never prepared nor did anyone think of any plan of action in such a situation. The main reason why Italy, Spain, UK, and our very own Kerala successfully bend the curve of infection is because of the bravery, dedication, and selfless Hardwork of Healthcare workers. Unfortunately in Mumbai, the administration is forced to give show-cause notices to almost 50%  Healthcare staff who have stayed away from performing their duties when the city really needed them. The main reason state-run hospitals remain breeding ground of corruption, unaccountability, and arrogance is coz only poor people went to these hospitals. Others had no option but to approach the Private hospitals which have their own infamous characteristics of greed and profiteering. Two out of one patients getting treated in Private Hospitals have harrowing tales of massive bills forced onto them.

Be it private or government hospitals we are not ready for this kind of influx of patients the government hospitals were already on a ventilator due to corruption and lack of resources whereas the private hospitals are unregulated and uncontrollable. The rich get what they want at a price in Private Hospitals, the state-run hospitals are overwhelmed with the poor and the middle class is washing their hands waiting for their turn to get bankrupt. But who's to blame? Politicians? System? Or the public who never raised their voices nor cared when the Healthcare system was infected with the virus of corruption, unaccountability, and neglect. Our silence, our selfish behavior, our failure to demand accountability is the reason for this catastrophe. We might not be able to bend the curve of death or infections anytime soon but what we really need to bend is our Political apathy, our insensitivity, our ignorance, and our complete lack of interest in demanding accountability. Thousands are dying and somewhere we are all responsible for this crisis, we are the cause of each and every death due to lack of treatment.