Thanks @drharshvardhan for a comprehensive briefing to the LokSabha on India's preparedness for the coronavirus & measures undertaken so far. Here are the questions i was raising my hand to ask, but did not have a chance to: [thread follows]
(1) Can you assure the country that we are not underestimating the level of infection in India because of the shortage of diagnostic facilities? The only institute equipped to test for coronavirus is the NationalInstitute of Virology,Pune. How many samples can they test in a day?
(2) Are our existing quarantine practices up to date? It is disturbing that we are placing evacuees from affected countries in an ITBP camp inManesar: they are isolated from society but not from each other, w/common facilities incl dining. So 1 infected person can infect the rest
(3) What arrangements are being made to bring Indian citizens trapped in countries with a high incidence of coronavirus, such as Italy & Iran, home as the Govt has done for those in China?
(4) Our current visa policies affect people by the passports they hold, not their places of work or residence. So an Italian citizen who's a Professor at UCLA &has not been to Italy in a year finds his e-visa cancelled for a trip he was to make this weekend. Does this make sense?
The last two questions also involve @DrSJaishankar's ministry. Would be grateful for responses to these important concerns.
(5) Have noted that 15 more labs are being readied to complement the testing efforts being done at NIV Pune. Is there a deadline? I ask because a 2012 proposal for 150 diagnostic&research labs with virological expertise has gone nowhere. GOI will have to show greater urgency now!
Reposting my column from @TheWeek_IND of Feb 29 that argues that India is NOT ready for the coronavirus: theweek.in/columns/shashi…
