Capital has turned a corner, says Kejriwal
NEWDELHI: The Capital has turned a crucial corner in its fight against Covid-19, chief minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Saturday, crediting a five-point “Delhi Model” – increased testing, home isolation of mild cases, availability of hospital beds, transparency of data, and plasma therapy – for nearly halving the number of daily new cases in a month.
Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal spoke to Sweta Goswami and Binayak Dasgupta about combating the Covid-19 crisis, the rise and fall in the Delhi virus curve, the strategies that worked, the pitfalls that may still lie ahead, and the road to unlocking all of the city, along with other issue. Edited excerpts:
One month ago, when daily cases were hitting a new record every day, and frantic efforts by the administration did not seem to be working, did you think we would at the point we have reached now – when there is a sustained fall in new infections?
The situation was under control till the last week of May – the time till when the lockdown was in place. When the lockdown opened, our preparedness was there, but the number of Covid-19 cases began increasing at a faster rate.
We realised that this virus cannot be fought alone. It needs huge financial, medical and human resources. We studied the entire cycle of a Covid-19 patient to identify problems. Testing was found to be a major problem. People wanted to get tested but weren’t able to. So, we demanded more testing from the Centre. They accepted our request, and introduced rapid antigen detection tests in Delhi, before starting it in any other states.
The second problem we found was that anyone who was testing positive would invariably come to a hospital. There was a lot of panic. We realised if everyone turns up in the hospital, no amount of beds would suffice. So we started focusing on home isolation. People started feeling very comfortable with home isolation in Delhi.
There was also an ambulance shortage in Delhi. We increased the number of ambulances manifold because of which, today, no calls are being rejected.
Another challenge was beds. When coronavirus was at its peak and things were not as good as it is now in Delhi, even then we used to have 1,000-1,500 beds vacant in our government hospitals. In the first week of June, there were only 700 beds in Delhi’s private hospitals, of which almost 650 were occupied. We decided to reserve 40% beds in all private hospitals for Covid-19 patients. With this, we created 5,000 new beds within 24 hours. We reached out to hotels as well and attached them with hospitals which then took the total beds further to 7,000.
The other thing was the convalescent plasma therapy, which helped saved lives.
With all these efforts, now we are seeing the curve of daily infections, deaths and positivity rate bending downwards. The positivity rate is down, and the recovery rate is getting better by the day.
But this virus is unpredictable. We do not know how it will spread a month later. So, I am saying again that we should not be complacent. Till there is a vaccine, rules such as wearing a mask and maintaining social distancing and hygiene must be strictly followed by the public.
So, if we were to ask you to define the Delhi Model to fight Covid -- what is it?
The five things I said at the start – testing, home isolation, transparent data, hospital beds and plasma therapy -- are the key elements.
But we used three principles help us achieve this.
One is teamwork. No one can individually end or handle corona. It is only possible keeping all the egos and race for credit aside. In this various governments, civil societies, religious institutes, everyone has to get involved.
Our second principle is acknowledging constructive criticism and working on fixing the problems highlighted by others. Lok Nayak hospital was shown in very bad light at the start, and rightly so. We understood the problems and fixed all the problems that were highlighted by the people, including the media.
The third principle is that no matter how bad the situation gets, you as a government cannot give up. Recently, a health minister from a state said: ‘Only now God can save us’. (Laughs) I can understand the anxiety and helplessness of that minister. But as a government, you cannot give up -- because if you give up, then you cannot imagine the number of deaths that will lead you to.
From the five points we were talking about, home isolation is a key part of Delhi’s Covid management strategy. Even now, some states in the country are making a big mistake by not allowing home isolation. These states are picking anyone who tests Covid positive, even if they are asymptomatic or mild cases, and putting them in quarantine centres. The condition of these centres is pathetic. People do not want to go to quarantine centres, and fear testing as a result. And if you start putting everyone under institutional quarantine, then your Covid health infrastructure will collapse.
Though the Central government was dead against home isolation at one point of time -- they passed orders cancelling the system -- I am very happy that due to public pressure they saw the importance of the system and put back the old system.
You mention that Centre was opposed to your home quarantine rules. Are you saying that if that order had not been reversed, Delhi would not have seen the improvement we’re seeing now?
That was the most critical point in Delhi’s Covid-19 crisis. If that order was not reversed, and if home isolation was actually cancelled, Delhi’s Covid situation would be extremely bad.
That order by the LG (lieutenant-governor) also included that all positive people would have to line up at Covid Care Centres for medical screening. The treatment to serious patients would have been undermined if they were standing in queues instead of being in hospitals. The order also cancelled the contract of the private company which used to make follow-up calls to all patients recovering under home isolation through tele-counselling.
But, we decided that we will not fight about this. We explained our stand to everyone in the central government in several rounds of meetings, and they ultimately agreed.
So home isolation is one key ingredient?
Testing and isolation are both very important. Many state governments are currently not testing enough. My suggestion to them is to scale up testing in a big way. Let the problem come on the table. Let everyone know the number of cases. If you do not test enough, you won’t know the real picture in your fight against coronavirus.
Aside of the run-ins, how has the Centre helped you in this pandemic?
When the virus started, no one had anything. We asked them for testing kits and PPE kits; they immediately sent it to us. In June, they started antigen testing. We demanded oxygen cylinders, they sent us 500 cylinders immediately. So whenever we asked them for help, they have come forward.
So, you’re in a position to offer your hospital services to other states now?
You don’t need to offer. If facilities are there, they will come on their own -- as they have been coming all this while.
As cases reduce, will you consider locking Delhi’s borders, just as Noida and Gurugram locked their borders to Delhi?
Some states had restricted the entry of people coming from Delhi. Those states which had stopped people of Delhi from coming; their cases have now increased despite that restriction, and ours have gone down.
So, such restrictions do not work I feel. We have to improve our Covid management instead of doing all this. No matter what the situation, we will not lock our Delhi borders for others.
The economy has taken a big hit because of the virus. What do we need to re-start to get it back on the recovery path? Do migrant workers need to be brought back safely?
All kinds of activities have to start again.
Construction activities need to re-start.
I feel that the tussle that is going on with China; this can actually be used as an opportunity for us. We are importing things as small as toys from China. I feel the Central government should prepare a list of such small items, and start producing them indigenously. If entrepreneurs and industrialists are called upon and given all facilities and technologies, such items can be produced at a war mode to cater to India’s domestic demand. This will create jobs, production and the GDP will increase and the dependence on China will also end.
Your view is that India should take a hard stand on China?
Yes, we need our land back.
We are now seeing many states are doing weekend lockdowns. Would you suggest to other states that they should be more relaxed and focus on other areas?
I am happy that we did not need to do a lockdown. Even when the cases were rising, we did not impose a lockdown. Overall, my own assessment is that a lockdown can only temporarily delay the spread of the virus. It does not end it. You can use a lockdown to ramp up your existing facilities, get prepared and then open up. I do not think lockdowns can put an end to Corona it can only delay it.
What has been you key learning for you in the pandemic – not just about fighting the pandemic but as a chief minister faced with such a big crisis?
An interesting thing we are seeing now is that volunteers and party workers of all political parties who, used to fight a lot before the pandemic are now working together. We have seen if a BJP worker is bringing a Covid patient, then an AAP worker or a Congress worker is helping the person to get admitted.
If this spirit and feeling of oneness is nurtured and kept alive throughout, then the sky’s the limit for our country.
But a different political story seems to be playing out in Rajasthan…
What we are seeing in Rajasthan now is very sad. It is particularly sad at this hour when China is knocking on our doors and the whole country is battling a pandemic - the two biggest national parties of India are fighting with each other so bitterly. If they fight with each other, who will fight against China, who will fight against Corona, who will protect the country?
Last question. Success has many fathers, who is the father of Delhi’s Covid success at this time?
I will just say this: Credit sara unka, zimmedari saari meri. (Credit all Centre’s, responsibility all Delhi government’s).