ASIA/INDIA - Cardinals Alencherry: "Oxygen supply is a fundamental human right during pandemic"

Kochi (Agenzia Fides) - Oxygen for medical purposes is a fundamental human right, especially in view of the Covid-19 pandemic. This was stated by the chairman of the Council of Catholic Bishops of Kerala, Cardinal George Alencherry, who stated that the government has a duty to provide necessary care and medical oxygen to those struggling to survive in various Indian hospitals and health centers. "We usually speak of food, clothing and shelter as basic human needs that a government should provide for the entire population. Now with Covid-19, people's lives are in extreme danger and there is a need for medical oxygen. It is the government's duty to provide medical oxygen in hospitals and health centers across India", said the Cardinal and Archbishop of the Syro-Malabar Church. The Cardinal called for every precaution to be taken to avoid speculation about medical oxygen and to guarantee reasonable costs for the product. "There are many who cannot afford to buy medical oxygen because of the exorbitant prices. Therefore, the availability of medical oxygen should be seen as a basic need and made freely available to Indian citizens", he said in relation to this. Since the beginning of April, India has faced a surge in COVID-19 cases in its second wave of pandemics, resulting in extreme shortages of hospital beds, oxygen and other medical requirements. In the last week, over 300,000 new infections were reported daily, while a total of more than 17 million infected and over 198,000 deaths have been counted so far. Meanwhile, the figures reported by the government are not complete, according to observers, and numerous private centers and clinics are ignored. Archbishop Emeritus of Guwahati, Thomas Menamparampil asks, "Who is responsible for the current medical disaster? All of us, who have surrendered to the rule and will of one man in India. Narenda Modi and his government will have to take responsibility for the increase of 300,000 cases of Covid-19 a day. The symbolic call for non-participation in the Hindu Kumbh Mela rite (Hindu ritual ceremony) was belated and only symbolic. The Archbishop also criticized crowds at election rallies, stressing that "voices were more important than human lives" for policymakers. However, when criticizing the work and strategy of Modi's executive, "caution is advised in order not to be accused of rioting, as was the case with the Jesuit Father Stan Swamy", concludes the Archbishop (SD-PA) (Agenzia Fides, 27/4/2021)

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human rights

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pandemic

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coronavirus

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politics

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