Thread by @sohinichat

This young man, 34, a neighbour of sorts in Salt Lake, died in a Pune hospital for lack of B+ blood. Think about it: B+ is one of the most common blood groups in India
He was privileged, Anglophone, savvy. Imagine how our health system has collapsed
m.timesofindia.com/city/pune/man-…

In the first week of April, I had written about blood donations plunging and banks running dry. Maharashtra was one of the state's doing well then. In these weeks, things have gone from bad to worse clearly
livemint.com/mint-lounge/fe…

What a horrible way to underline that your reporting is on the mark: big city + common blood group + privileged young person, yet death. I've seen plenty of city newspapers writing about blood shortages in their cities. But nearly no one has followed this on a national level >>

The migrant worker crisis is the visible crisis of the Covid19 lockdown.
The invisible crisis is the complete breakdown of our health system especially in non-Covid care. HIV, TB, organ failure, cancer, rare disease patients are abandoned. They have to be #atmanirbhar >>

Elderly people, numbering over 100 million, abandoned. Many of them are stranded alone at home. Yes, we are very dependent on domestic labour. Nothing to be proud of there. But MANY elderly people are alone without their "ayahs, attendants, maids", any help at all >>

Blood has dried up. Thalassemia patients. Those who have anaemia like this young man who died. Pregnant women who lose blood while delivering. Cancer patients sometimes need blood transfusion after chemotherapy. How can a govt declare lockdown without prepping for anything? >>

Psychiatric drugs are unavailable in local pharmacies, because the majority are sold strictly on prescription. Most pharmacies do not store them. Only the major ones near hospitals, or the ones from where you order regularly will stock for you. Online drugstores are out of stock>

Recently, there were reports that Rajasthan + Bengal are re-starting immunisation after 2 months. 2 months! Can you imagine the number of babies who have not been immunised in this time?
Mortuary workers are not getting PPE in some places. Or got it only in the last week of April

The health effects of this lockdown are terrifying, and that has largely been reported in city newspapers in bits and pieces. It simply does not have the visibility that the migrant worker crisis has. It has barely been covered on TV. It is the right there before us but invisible