Lock to unlock: A multidimensional impact of COVID-19 in India

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic forced for first lockdown in India in March 2020. Resurgence of COVID-19 cases has forced many states in India to reintroduce the movement restrictions in March 2021. With four times increase in number of cases, many hospitals are swamped with patients, shortage of doctors and healthcare workers, shortage of personal protective equipment (PPEs), medications, and oxygen. The second wave led to out of pocket expenditures, hike in health care budget, burnouts among the health care workers (HCWs), migration, and hampered education system. The crisis was due to insufficient oxygen and beds, repeated changes in the treatment protocol and testing strategies, violence against HCWs and front line workers (FLWs), vaccination hesitancy to vaccination shortage, and increased morbidity to mortality. The quarantine and isolation of HCWs and FLWs become difficult due to the insufficient workforce. This formed as an opportunity leading to public–private partnership for patient care and successful vaccination. The pandemic brought the concept of advanced technologies and inventions such as use of Robotics, Apps such as Arogyasetu and CoWin, Ventilators, and O2 plants (O2 concentrator), and self-testing kits (COVISELF). Apart from the COVID appropriate behaviors, mass vaccination and newly approved treatments, the policymakers can stabilize the country with helping hand from industries, development of workforce, adequate production, and supply of medicines-vaccine and PPEs to rejuvenate the healthcare industry at the earliest.