Kerala managing Pandemic

Why in news?

Kerala seems to be managing the COVID-19 Pandemic well, with statistics and data stands in its favour.

Kerala’s performance

• The number of recoveries are exceeding the number of new infections. The recovery rate in Kerala is nearly 50 per cent while the all-India average is around 11.
• While the mortality rate among the infected is 0.5 per cent in Kerala, the all-India average is 3.4 per cent.
• The transmission rate of a primary carrier is 2.6 while in Kerala it is only 0.4.
• Kerala is preparing for post-lockdown stage, which would see an influx of returning migrants from foreign countries and other states. Hundreds of thousands would have to be quarantined, tested and if positive, treated, ensuring there is no secondary spread.

Other steps being taken

• The state is exploring the possibility of big data analytics to plan a strategy and if necessary for reverse quarantining. This would help them to map vulnerable sections of the population, simulate scenarios and plan ahead.
• The state also stepped up its medical facilities turning defunct hospitals into COVID-19 facilities, 800 ventilators in public hospitals and 1,578 in the private sector have been identified.
• The State has been providing welfare payments to the elderly and disadvantaged. Every family has been provided with a food kit.
• Besides nearly 4 lakh meals are distributed every day to the needy from community kitchens set up by local governments. Local governments are also duty bound to monitor the camps of migrant workers, set up new ones and ensure medicine and food to them.
• There seem to be proper integration between state government plan and programmes of the local governments, the co-operatives, women neighbourhood groups (Kudumbashree) and civil society organisations.
• The CM addresses the State every evening which have enabled to avoid confusion in crisis.
• Lack of adequate financial resources has been the biggest impediment faced by the government. The state’s own revenues have dried up while the GST compensation is in four-month arrears.

How Kerala performs well?

• A critical factor in Kerala’s COVID-19 battle has been its robust healthcare system, considered on a par with those of many developed countries.
• Its focus on Primary Health Centers (PHC) and Community Health Centers have been key in its performance.
• The state’s focus on literacy and women’s education helped it attain near 100% vaccination levels and develop a culture of personal hygiene.
• Kerala topped all states on the NITI Aayog’s annual health index with an overall score of 74.01 compared to the least-performing state UP (28.61).
• The state’s private health sector is dominated by investments from NRIs and corporate healthcare groups.

Analysis

• The recent experiences of successful containment of the Nipah outbreak and management of the two post-flood health situations have provided health workers of the State with experience in managing crisis situations.
• Once news of the Wuhan pandemic came, the Kerala health system scrambled to readiness — the control room was set up, mock drills were organised and the first influx was contained.
• Once migrants from the Gulf and Europe began to return things began to get out of hand. A route map of each COVID positive case was prepared and given publicity alerting everybody who might have been in contact. But the situation has changed now recovered patients are leaving isolation hospitals with their caretakers.
• Special training, protective gear, scientific duty rotation and other trainings have been imparted.
• The protocol of cycles of intense test, trace, isolate and treatment has been the norm. Break the Chain Campaign to promote social distancing has been successful.

Mains Question

Q. During the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic some of the states were successful in containment and management of the disease. Identify the underlying reasons for better performance of the states in managing the pandemic.