Fighting Covid-19: Learning from Kerala Model

Kerala not only tops the literacy rate chart in the country but also is perhaps ahead of other states in terms of response to crisis. It had been hit by several floods over the last few years; Nipah virus outbreak happened in 2018; and the first Covid-19 case in the country was also reported in the state. But the state handled the natural calamity quite well and Nipah was successfully contained through community participation and ensured that the deadly virus didn’t spread to other states. It was also lauded by experts for its management of Covid-19 in the initial stages. Many political pundits credited Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s resolute leadership skills and efficient crisis management for the landslide victory of the Left Democratic Front (LDF) in the recently Kerala Assembly election. The people of the state could have rewarded the incumbent government for its citizen first approach, especially during crisis. The socially vigilant administration was perfectly complemented by remarkable civic participation and not to forget the positive role played by the media. In a nutshell, everybody played their part diligently for the common good.

The number of Covid-19 cases have shot up after the dust caused by the campaigns for the recent assembly elections, with active cases figures surging to 3,76,004 as of Thursday. It’s a cause of concern and one thing that the Vijayan government should arrest before it spirals into a catastrophe. Despite some loopholes, there are lot of things that other Indian states can learn from Kerala. The state has managed to keep the fatality rate relatively low at 0.32 per cent because it is more prepared than its counterparts. When most states were in chaos with tragedy unfolding everywhere -- in the hospitals, streets, pavements and at homes – due to lack of medical oxygen to treat Covid-19 patients, Kerala was supplying oxygen to other states facing shortage. Sensing the threat, the state increased its oxygen production capacity by close to 60 per cent over the last one year. The state government invested a lot on oxygen generation plants, resulting in surplus of the much-needed gas needed to treat Covid-19 patients when other states are scrambling for it. Like most states Nagaland is also trying to bring such facilities now, one each for all 11 district hospitals but late by several months.

Kerala is leading from the front in terms of Covid vaccination. It’s chief minister tweeted that it had “received 73,38,806 doses of vaccine from the Centre government but the state has provided 74,26,164 doses, even making use of the extra dose available as wastage factor in each vial”. This is another achievement that other states should emulate. Its robust response to crisis is exemplary. Proactive positive governance and high standards of community participation have set Kerala apart from other states in crisis management. It is likely to get out of this crisis earlier than others, provided the low mortality rate doesn’t make the people complacent.