Stay inside, wash your hands and seek care if needed. That was Prime Minister Narendra Modi's message to his residents when he announced that the country would be shut down for 21 days on Wednesday.
But that is easier said than done in a country where 163 million people lack access to clean water and health care accounts for only one percent of GDP.
In a report produced by Indian authorities, health care would need at least 38 million breath masks and 6.2 million sets of personal protective equipment to meet the need, Reuters reports.
- The Indian economy accounts for 90 percent of the informal economy, which includes domestic workers, factory employees and small farmers. Together with the homeless in the country, they are the most vulnerable group, says Parul Sharma, a human rights lawyer focused on South Asia.
- But what is positive is that the problems with few care places and poor sanitation have come up at the government level. That is really heard in the debate right now, she continues.
A cluster community just like that Despite criticizing the Indian government, they did the right thing when they chose to shut down the country, says Parul Sharma. In such a crowded country with 1.3 billion people, the infection could otherwise have spread without halt.
- India is a cluster community, like Italy. You live in generational housing and spend time in large groups. On average, five people live per household and two-thirds live in homes with two rooms or less. The government had no choice but to isolate the inhabitants, she says.
In addition to the healthcare aspect, the last few days have come to deal with the collaboration between the government and civil society.
- There is now a new interaction between Indian non-governmental bodies and the state, which has not worked before. It's totally unique here, says Sharma.
At present, India has a low number of confirmed cases in relation to the population. 873 people have been confirmed infected and 19 have died.
- The fact that there are so few cases is mainly that there are no resources to test. But there are also scientists who believe that the high temperatures in the country have slowed the spread, says Parul Sharma