New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government could preside over “a self-inflicted national catastrophe”, international medical journal The Lancet said in an editorial.
In a piece highly critical of the government’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic, the widely respected publication said the success of India overcoming the crisis will depend on PM Modi’s administration “owning up to its mistakes”.
“[PM] Modi’s actions in attempting to stifle criticism and open discussion during the crisis are inexcusable,” it said.
“India squandered its early successes in controlling COVID-19. Until April, the government’s COVID-19 taskforce had not met in months. The consequences of that decision are clear before us, and India must now restructure its response while the crisis rages,” the Lancet editorial said.
“The success of that effort will depend on the government owning up to its mistakes, providing responsible leadership and transparency, and implementing a public health response that has science at its heart,” it said.
The journal called out the government for giving out the impression that India had beaten COVID-19 after several months of low case counts, despite repeated warnings of the dangers of a second wave and the emergence of new strains. Asian Peace
