New Daily Cases Exceed 300,000 for 8th Day
Healthcare System Faces Limits in Hospitals and Morgues
Overflow of Bodies at Crematoriums
At an open-air crematorium in New Delhi, the capital of India, the cremation of a COVID-19 victim's body took place on the 24th (local time). / Photo by Yonhap News
[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Juhyung] In India, where daily COVID-19 cases have surpassed 300,000 for consecutive days, scenes reminiscent of a 'living hell' are unfolding, adding to the sorrow. There are reports of women who died without being transported to hospitals due to the overloaded medical system, and crematoriums set up near cities are operating around the clock due to an overflow of bodies.
According to local Indian media such as 'NDTV,' on the 28th (local time), Mukul Vias, a man in his 20s living in New Delhi, lost his mother in his arms the day before (27th).
Vias tried to transfer his critically ill mother to a nearby hospital, but the hospital refused them at the main entrance. Eventually, three hours later, Vias's mother passed away inside the vehicle they had come in together.
Vias told the media, "They (the hospital) only demanded that we complete the (admission) procedures fully," and added, "I appealed to people for help, but no one came."
India's medical system, facing an uncontrollable situation with daily new COVID-19 cases exceeding 300,000, is reported to have reached its limit.
Signs of the medical system's collapse had already appeared earlier. Footage recently taken by NDTV at a large national hospital in Raipur, central India, showed bodies left on makeshift beds, unable to be placed in morgues or refrigerated storage, shocking many.
The crisis is not limited to hospitals. There are also significant difficulties in burying and cremating those who died without timely treatment.
Especially in densely populated metropolitan areas, crematoriums and burial sites are reported to be oversaturated. The British public broadcaster BBC recently reported that crematoriums across India are operating nonstop due to bodies waiting for cremation, stating, "Due to a shortage of cremation facilities, mass cremations by gathering bodies are frequent."
The U.S. media outlet 'The New York Times' (NYT) described the tragedy, saying, "Like an unstoppable factory, bodies are being burned 24 hours a day," and "Flames never cease at crematoriums across India."
Meanwhile, India has recently recorded over 300,000 daily COVID-19 cases for eight consecutive days. According to the Indian Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, as of the 29th, the daily new cases reached a total of 379,257.
The reasons India has become such a 'COVID living hell' appear to be a combination of several factors, including recent successive large gatherings and the emergence of new virus variants.
According to a report by the British media 'The Guardian' on the 27th, Tarik Jasarevic, spokesperson for the World Health Organization (WHO), said about the spread of COVID-19 in India, "The cause of the infections engulfing India in recent weeks is not only due to variant viruses," and pointed out, "Complacent behavior that pushed India's medical system to the brink of collapse also played a role."
He added, "It is unclear how much the variant viruses contribute to the surge in infections in India," and "Large gatherings may have acted as a contributing factor."
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