By Ahmad Adil
NEW DELHI (AA) - India surpassed 300,000 daily coronavirus cases Thursday after registering a staggering 314,835 new infections in the past 24 hours, marking the highest figure since the start of the pandemic.
Health Ministry figures showed that the country’s total caseload has risen to 15.9 million while the total number of fatalities stands at 184,657, including a record 2,104 new deaths.
Amid an exponential surge in daily coronavirus infections – over 200,000 since April 15 – hospitals across the country are struggling to maintain oxygen supplies. There has also been a shortage of beds and treatment drugs such as Remdesivir.
The crisis is even worse in the capital New Delhi, which is also witnessing an unprecedented surge in infections, and hospitals are overwhelmed with patients. Official records show that beds in intensive care units (ICUs) with ventilator support are nearly filled.
With the scarcity of oxygen supplies, a Delhi-based hospital on Wednesday had to approach the court regarding the shortage. Local media reported that the federal government had to face tough questions at the Delhi High Court during a hearing.
"How is the government so oblivious to the reality on the ground? You can't have people die because there is no oxygen," local broadcaster NDTV quoted the judges looking into the matter as saying.
As the situation continues to worsen, choking the country's health system, the Indian government is facing a number of questions for not being able to handle the situation properly. The government has allowed political rallies and the country’s biggest religious festival to take place despite the increase in cases.
Senior government officials say they are unable to determine when cases will start coming down.
“Currently we are in the midst of the second wave of the pandemic. We are still seeing an upsurge. We cannot comment on when we will see a downward [trend],” Balram Bhargava, director general of the Indian Council of Medical Research, told reporters Wednesday during a press briefing by the government on the coronavirus situation.
“But from the experience of the previous wave…we hope, and with all the efforts which are happening from the state government and union government, we [are] working together to fight this.”
With more fatalities reported across the country, cities are reporting far larger numbers of cremations and burials. Those managing the cremations and burials say they have not seen such a large number of them before.
Earlier this week, the government allowed vaccination against COVID-19 to everyone above the age of 18 from May 1.