India’s silent health crisis: Coronavirus may be the least of worries

In India, the first case of coronavirus was reported on 30^th January’19. Ever since that day, public as well as the authorities have been battling the deadly respiratory disease while scientists across the globe are trying to develop a vaccine. Many steps were taken to keep the virus at bay, from lockdown to social distancing, every rule was made mandatory to contain the virus. Unfortunately, even after being quick to respond to the virus, India suffered greatly. However, coronavirus has given rise to more than one health crisis which could’ve been averted if not for the pandemic. This has led to India’s silent health crisis.

What is silent health crisis?

Ever since coronavirus spread across India, the number of infants missing crucial immunization shots and mothers opting for natural birth rather than travelling to hospitals has increased. Reports suggest that outpatient critical care for cancer has also plunged 80% from February.

There is another disease that kills over 421,000 Indians each year. There are approximately 2.7 million patients of Tuberculosis in India. The gap in treatment can increase the cases by 6.2 million with 1.4 million deaths.

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Tuberculosis or Coronavirus: Which is deadlier?

It has been proved that coronavirus can be treated without seeking medical care as well. There are silent carriers and more than 50% of the cases have already been cured of the disease. However, according to the doctors, missing a few days of any other treatment may not be very harmful but one gap in TB treatment will amplify resistance.

Why India can’t survive another health crisis?

India’s lack of health infrastructure is the reason that the country has been floundering amidst the oceans of coronavirus cases. This is one of the main reasons why the country has not been able to make progress against diseases like dengue, malaria, typhoid, etc.

Over 65 million Indians are currently living in slum areas like Dharavi in Mumbai. Before these areas became a coronavirus hotspot, people living in these areas have had a long history of struggling with tuberculosis. What is scarier is the fact that both the diseases have similar symptoms which can make the conditions worse for the people suffering from TB.