Health Minister’s outburst says it all/ inactive State health ministries/ Swine flu death increasing/ Nation still sleeping.html/ 22.08.2009

Health Minister’s outburst says it all/ inactive State health ministries/ Swine flu death increasing/ Nation still sleeping.html/ 22.08.2009

SWINE FLU DEATH IS INCREASING WHILE MINISTERS ARE SLEEPING

Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad’s outburst at the NRHM (National Rural Health Mission) says it all… passing the buck and the blame game are on. While the health minister woke up too late even before Swine Flu had taken hold in the nation, now he is blaming all the State health ministries to safeguard his own image… Sad, that a leader, instead of leading his men in the right direction has just to say – “Bloody…when will the States wake up? Hum yahan 20-24 ghante kaam karte hain aur aap baite huye ho!” These statements are enough to show how serious our health departments or ministries are?

Deaths due to Swine Flu is increasing day-in and day-out… the fear, the awareness, the treatment, the tests, the hospitals, the masks, the medicine and the common sense still are at large, ineffective and shabby… In the electronic media, it was pathetic to see how casual our Health Minister seems while answering questions… general awareness through dailies are still missing after just one day of campaigning… Is just one day of generating awareness enough Mr. Azad?

Until and unless more people die, the government will not take proper and serious action and that is evident when you see how the ministry is dealing with a dreaded disease… why are we so cool about everything? Until and unless the terrorists enter our nation, kill people… the government will not take any precautionary action… we have seen how Mumbai was attacked on 26/11… While all the ministers are safe living in their air-conditioned homes, why should they care about common man’s death?

Looks like Mr. Azad is not aware of his responsibilities as the Health Minister of the Nation – but obvious the Centre has to lead and ask each State to be active in dealing with any natural calamities or insurgency… while the Centre was sleeping during the initial days, it is wonderful to know that the State Governments are still sleeping… Common man’s death hardly means anything for these corrupt ministers… all they care is how to make more money while people are suffering and dying due to floods, drought and flu…

From just one city (Pune), the flu has spread to most cities (Bengaluru, Chennai, Bilaspur and others) and various parts of the nation… treatments are still at large in big cities, so can one imagine what must be the state of smaller cities and villages, if the flu strikes? It is time for ACTION not issuing meaningless statements in the media to show how concerned Mr. Azad and the Nation’s government are? Will we unite to fight the flu collectively rather than blaming each other? Well, stop telling the State Health Ministries – ‘I have been able to speak to Chief Ministers of States more easily than I have been able to reach some health ministers. Instead of me chasing them, they must chase me. Health is a State matter and each State must have its own plans to protect the lives of their people.’

Such statements coming from the head of the Health Ministry is really amazing! Kudos to Mr. Azad for informing the whole nation as to what and how our ruling government is doing to safeguard its citizen from Swine Flu! Well done Mr. Azad… it is really the most commendable service to the nation! Hats off to you….

Will the electronic media please take up these issues on a larger scale to see Mr. Azad’s exit from the ministry? We really don’t need a minister who is here to tell what others should do and how careless his department has been over the pandemic… as it is people are dying, whether Mr. Azad is there or not… No moral conscience at all!