Think of other means to control epidemic,

Lokmat News Network

Aurangabad, March 6: Senior city industrialists Rishi Bagla, Ram Bhogale and Mansing Pawar have urged the authorities to think of other means to control the Covid-19 epidemic instead of choosing to impose lockdown.

In a joint statement issued here today, they said the second tide is not as deadly as the earlier one. The medical protocols are well developed and all medicines available. Treatment costs are down. Time in hospital has reduced substantially. It is mostly affecting middle and higher middle class while poor class seems to have developed resistance. So, the class that can afford treatment is getting infected while costs are substantially under control. Death rate is down. Only those with many serious co-morbidities and prolonged negligence are seriously impacted.

Do we really need to pay the steep price of a lockdown in the present situation?

Lockdown imposes sufferings and loss of earnings on poor. Revenue loss to the government and business loss to industry and trade are other important aspects that need consideration. Other effective means to control the spread of pandemic can save us all from devastating effects of a lockdown. Let us do lateral thinking before we choose to impose lockdown, they urged the administration.