Clout & Connections Needed For Beds And ICU Supplies As Caseload Surges: Survey

Only 13% of those who needed a COVID ICU bed were able to get it through the routine process finds a survey.

New Delhi: India saw a marginal dip in the caseload on Tuesday, a day after reporting 2.7 lakh active cases. According to MoHFW records, India reported 2,59,170 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours. Though, the fatalities surged to 1,761, the highest single-day spike.

The surge in cases has put strain on the existing medical/healthcare system available in the country because of which people now need clout or connections in order to procure treatment. 

Social media has become people's way to request for COVID tests, hospital and ICU beds, COVID management drugs like Tocilizumab and Remdesivir, oxygen supplies, as shortage hits hospitals across India. 55% of those who got a COVID ICU bed needed clout or connections to get it found LocalCircles Survey.

In the survey, the first question which recieved 8,645 responses sought to know the experience of people in their social network in regards to getting a COVID-19 ICU bed in the last 45 days. To which 42% responded, “had to use clout or connections to secure the ICU bed”, 24% said “had to follow up extensively to secure the ICU bed”, 3% said “had to escalate via social media or complain to the Government to secure the ICU bed”, and 13% said “had to do all the above 3 to secure the bed”. Only 13% said “got the ICU bed without any of the above”. Just 5% said “did not get an ICU bed”.

While people are struggling to find Remdesivir and Tocilizumab - two drug essential in the management of Covid - the black market selling these drugs has flourished. The LocalCircles Survey asked people about their experience sourcing these drugs, 28% said they had to use clout/connections to get them; 7% said they got it from the market by overpaying; 4% said they ended up bribing hospital officials to secure them while 20% said they could not get it at all. 28% citizens could not say what they did to secure it while only 13% said that the hospital arranged it through the normal process. 

The findings of the survey, reflects the major shortage of COVID ICU beds and COVID management drugs (Remdesivir and Tocilizumab) parts of this country is facing. Mostly, people with clout and connections are able to secure them while others have to run around to in its search. 

In the grim state that the country is in right now, these findings bring forward the tragic reality of India's healthcare system which seems to be crumbling under the pressure of the surging cases.