The banks of the Ganges River in the city of Garhmukteshwar, Uttar Pradesh state (India’s most populous state) became a place to cremate the bodies of people who died of COVID-19. Photo: AFP/GETTY IMAGES The epidemic is spreading rapidly to the countryside After four consecutive days of recording the number of infections above 400,000 / day, the last two days the number of daily infections in India has fallen below this level. Many government health officials and experts predict this second wave of epidemics in India will peak around the end of this week. However, it seems that the epidemic crisis in India is moving to a more dangerous new phase. The danger is that the virus is now spreading rapidly to rural areas, according to the CIDRAP Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota. In the article in the newspaper New York Times Journalist Jeffrey Gettleman, head of this newspaper’s office in the capital New Delhi, also said that the infection and death from COVID-19 that broke out in big cities a few weeks ago is now spreading very quickly to rural areas. village. New Delhi recorded nearly 12,500 infections on May 11, less than half of the number recorded on April 30. Hospitals in New Delhi are now accepting patients again, after having to stop accepting them because of overcrowding last month, leaving infected people to die on the streets. Mumbai also recorded the same. The danger is that the number of infections in New Delhi and Mumbai will probably stop increasing and decrease gradually, but in many other places will increase. In other words, the situation of New Delhi a few weeks ago now extends to almost the entire country. Some of the worst-affected states are in the south, especially Karnataka. I cannot imagine what would happen in rural India. Expert RIJO M. JOHN worried about the prospect of the COVID-19 epidemic overflowing into the countryside How will it be? This fact raises a terrifying question: If New Delhi, a rich metropolis with dozens of hospitals, is unable to handle the current wave of high cases, what will happen once this wave spreads to the country? poor rural areas? The answer seems to be gradually becoming clear. On the evening of May 10, a leading hospital in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh ran out of medical oxygen. More than 60 critically ill patients wear breathing tubes but no oxygen. The doctors worked frantically, but 11 patients did not survive that night. In a distraught over the loss of a loved one, family members stormed into the hospital and smashed it. Doctors and nurses had to flee until the police arrived. It can be clearly seen that the hospital overload, lack of oxygen, medicine … very serious even in large urban areas will be more alarming in rural states, according to the radio. CNN . Chogath farming village in the western state of Gujarat has a population of 7,400, but there are 500-600 infections, the number of people who have not survived is very high because the whole village does not have a doctor. Nearby towns have several medical centers, but these small facilities have run out of beds and medical facilities. Dinesh Makwana drove his father, who was severely infected with COVID-19, through four medical centers in neighboring towns, but had to return home, because these centers had run out of beds. Usually about 30 people die in this village every year, but in the past month alone, villagers have had to cremate 90 bodies, according to Mr. Girjashankar. Many families have lost a lot of loved ones to COVID-19. Girjashankar, 70, still volunteered to go up the hill to cut firewood to help cremate the dead. Many southern states such as Kerala and Tamil Nadu have made it clear that they will not share the medical oxygen they have with each other, having to keep it to serve hospitals that are overloaded because the number of patients is growing too fast in their states. Medical aid goods from other countries have started pouring into India since the end of April, but it is still not enough compared to the reality of the shortage in this country. Currently, in addition to urban areas suffering from severe epidemics, Prime Minister Narenda Modi’s government also spends some oxygen and medicine to urgently distribute to the states. However, with this little common ground, remote and isolated localities such as Chogath village (Gujarat state) still have to rely on their own strength.• Drop the body Ganges River because there is no money for cremation Newspaper Indian Express On May 10, Indians discovered more than 40 bodies washed up on the banks of the Ganges River near Bihar and Uttar Pradesh states in the north. Some news channels say that the number of bodies floating in the Ganges must be in the hundreds. In India, there is a custom that when a family member dies, the relatives will tie a stone to the body and drop it into the Ganges River – a sacred river for Hindus. However, many officials and locals believe that these bodies are those who died from COVID-19. Many bodies were partially burned and locals explained that the bodies were not cremated or cremated incompletely due to a severe shortage of firewood. Another reason families choose to drop their loved ones’ bodies in the river is because they can’t stand the cost of cremation, many health workers told the newspaper. New York Times . Bihar and Uttar Pradesh are two of India’s poorest states and are home to about 370 million people. Doctors warn people not to use cow dung on their bodies in the belief that it will help their immune systems deal with the virus or help them recover faster if they get sick. Hindus believe cows are a symbol of life and cow dung or cow urine is therapeutic. However, according to doctors, not only is there no scientific evidence that this can defeat COVID-19 but can also bring many other disease risks.

Yet, in remote rural states, health resources are even scarcer. Some places don’t even have any medical resources to deplete. People can only fight the epidemic on their own and look to their fate. 90 people died in the past month, 3 times the average annual death toll. Dinesh Makwana took his father to four hospitals in nearby towns but could not find a single hospital bed. Photo: CNN. “No medical center, no doctors, no nurses” Chogath is a farming community in western Gujarat state, with about 7,400 inhabitants, according to the last census of 2011. Earlier this week, Mr. Jeetu said CNN that there are about 500 to 600 people with Covid-19 in the village. Residents here have also reported a spike in death toll. There are almost no doctors or medical facilities in the village. Meanwhile, the nearest city is more than an hour’s drive from the village. Some neighboring towns have clinics, but these facilities are very small and run out of beds and other essential medical supplies. The sudden spike in the number of illnesses and deaths in the whole village seemed to rest on Mr. Jeetu’s shoulder. An experienced pharmacist, he is in charge of prescribing medicine and supplying oxygen to the patients in the village. “No one, no medical center, no doctors, no nurses. There aren’t any facilities in this village. So I decided to deal with Covid-19 in a way that I see fit, ”he said. In Chogath, the lack of medical resources forced the desperate villagers to travel to the surrounding towns in the hope of finding a hospital bed. Dinesh Makwana, a resident of Chogath, said he tried to get his father with Covid-19 to four different hospitals in the surrounding towns but was hopeless. There are no more vacancies. With no other choice, he brought his seriously ill father to the village. “We are shocked (because of the 2nd Covi-19 wave). The whole village was very shocked, everyone was scared, ”he said. He said many people in the village died of Covid-19 and said: “I am very scared. I am worried that my father will lose “. Pharmacist Jeetu is the only source of medical assistance in Chogath village, Gujarat. Photo: CNN. Mr. Jeetu did his best to be able to provide some medicines to the villagers, including his father Makwana, to help stabilize the patient’s condition. However, the troubles that hit Makwana’s family do not stop there. His sister and mother are also infected. When Makwana talks to CNN, His mother was breathing hard on the porch. “I take care of my family. If I die, my wife and children will be crushed. I am not afraid of death, but only care for my wife, ”said Makwana’s father, Mr. Jivraj. 90 funerals a month Mr. Girjashankar, a resident of Chogath, despite being 70 years old, still helps families in the village to cremate their deceased loved ones. Day by day, he went to the forest or the field to cut wood, filled them with a tractor and then transported to the village, preparing to cremate the deceased. Normally, about 30 people die each year in the village. But within the past month, they cremated about 90 bodies, according to Mr. Girjashankar. Some families, he said, lost several people immediately because of the virus. Mr. Girjashankar, a cremation assistant, said that only a month ago, the village had 90 deaths, 3 times higher than the average annual death rate. Photo: CNN. The government tried to respond to the Covid-19 crisis in the country. They send oxygen supplies to various states and distribute aid from abroad. However, with the huge demand, the supplies do not seem to be distributed across the country. This means that the vast majority of health resources will go to the most densely affected and populous states. Therefore, small villages like Chogath have to survive this deadly epidemic on their own. “The village received no relief from the government. No doctors. There aren’t any government employees. The needed cannot come, and the person who needs to go (the hospital) cannot go ”, Mr. Girjashankar said. Pharmacist Jeetu said he was “very angry” because the people here are not being supported. “What can I do by myself,” he said. We don’t have any solutions, the people here are very poor ”. “All the people in the village are scared. 15, 20 days now, no one dares to step out of the house. Everyone is afraid, ”Makwana said. India uses the temple as a care center for patients Covid-19 Volunteers in the city of Ahmedabad, in western India, converted a temple into a Covid-19 patient care center, comprising a total of 50 beds.

In the remote Indian village of Chogath, Jeetu, a local pharmacist, has become the only source of medical assistance for people with Covid-19. The second wave of Covid-19 in India has devastated major cities and parts of this country. The hospitals have run out of oxygen and medicine. Jeetu, local pharmacist and volunteer doctor in Chogath village. Photo: CNN But in rural states and remote villages, the workforce of doctors and clinics is even scarcer. The people here have to fight the epidemic on their own without receiving any medical care. Chogath is a farming community in the western state of Gujarat. It is home to about 7,400 people, according to the 2011 census. Earlier this week, Mr. Jeetu said that there were about 500-600 cases of Covid-19 in Chogath village. Villagers also reported a sudden increase in the number of people dying from the disease. However, there were not any doctors or medical staff in the village. Meanwhile, the nearest city is more than an hour’s drive from the village. There are clinics in a number of neighboring towns, but these also run out of beds and other necessary medical equipment. As the number of illnesses and deaths in Chogath village spiked, Mr. Jeetu took on the role of a doctor. With his experience as a pharmacist, Mr. Jeetu prescribes medicine and supplies oxygen to the patients in the village. “No one is here, there is no medical center, no doctors, no nurses. There are no medical facilities in this village. So I settled in the way I saw fit, ”Mr. Jeetu said. India is facing a severe Covid-19 crisis that takes place everywhere, from the capital New Delhi to the smallest villages and towns. The second wave of Covid-19 has made millions of people in India sick in the past month and thousands dying every day. With more than 23 million cases of Covid-19, India is now the second most affected country in the world after the US epidemic, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. In Chogath, the lack of medical resources forced people to travel to surrounding towns in hopes of finding hospital beds. Dinesh Makwana, a resident of the village of Chogath, said he tried to put his father with Covid-19 into four different hospitals in the neighboring towns, but there were no vacancies. He had no choice but to bring his father, who had been diagnosed with a serious illness, back home. “All villagers are afraid” “We were shocked by the second wave of Covid-19. The whole village was very shocked, everyone was scared, ”Mr. Makwana said. Makwana says that many people in the village died from Covid-19. “I am very scared. I worry my father will die, ”he said. Makwana tried to send her father with Covid-19 to four different hospitals in the neighboring towns, but all had no vacancies. Photo: CNN Jeetu has provided some medicine to help stabilize Makwana’s father. However, the Makwana family’s troubles are not over as his sister and mother are also sick. “I am very worried about my family. If I die my family will be broken. I’m not afraid of death, I’m just worried about my wife, ”said Makwana’s father, Jivraj. Girjashankar, 70, a resident of Chogath, helped families in the village cremate deceased loved ones. He cut wood from the forests and loaded it on tractors and drove it back to the village, preparing for cremation for the deceased. Mr. Girjashankar said that each year about 30 people in Chogath village died, but only in the past month they cremated 90 bodies. The Indian government attempted to cope with the Covid-19 crisis by sending oxygen supplies to various states and distributing aid from abroad. However, the scarcity of medical supplies means most aid will go to the most populous and most affected states. Therefore, small villages like Chogath have to fight the pandemic on their own. “We don’t have doctors. We have no way to get to the bigger hospitals, ”said Girjashankar. Jeetu said he was “very angry” at the fact that people here do not receive medical care and lack of help from the authorities. “What can I do by myself? We don’t have a solution, the people here are very poor, ”said Mr. Jeetu. The villagers of Chogath had no choice but to wait for help. “All the people in the village are scared. It has been 15-20 days no one left the house. Everyone feels scared, ”Makwana said.

Jeetu, local pharmacist and volunteer doctor in Chogath village, Gujarat state, on May 9. Photo: CNN According to CNN (USA), India’s second COVID-19 wave has devastated major cities and urban centers, depleting hospitals of oxygen and medicine. Meanwhile, in rural areas and remote villages, doctors and clinics are even rarer, leaving residents fighting for their own lives without care. Chogath Village is a rural community in the western state of Gujarat, home to about 7,400 residents, according to the latest census in 2011. Earlier this week, pharmacist Jeetu said there were between 500 and 600 schools. with COVID-19, while deaths also spiked. However, there are no doctors or medical facilities in the nearest village and city more than an hour away. There are medical stations in a number of neighboring towns, but these small facilities also have no longer beds and essential supplies. Amid a spike in morbidity and mortality, Mr. Jeetu was forced to take on the role of a volunteer doctor, using his experience as a pharmacist to provide oxygen and prescribe medicine to the people. . “No one here, no medical center, no doctors, no nurses,” he said. “There are no medical facilities in this village. So I have to deal with the situation in the way I find the best fit.” Dinesh Makwana and his father, Mr. Jivraj, from Chogath village in Gujarat state, India, May 9. Photo: CNN India is coping with an ongoing health crisis everywhere from the capital New Delhi to the smallest villages and towns. The second wave of COVID-19 epidemic has infected millions of people across the country over the past month, with thousands dying every day. As of May 12, India has recorded over 23.3 million cases since the outbreak of the pandemic, being the second most severely affected country in the world, behind only the US, according to University data. Johns Hopkins. In Chogath, the lack of medical assistance forced the desperate villagers to travel to the surrounding towns in the hope of finding a hospital bed. Dinesh Makwana, from Chogath village, said he tried to send his father with COVID-19 to four different hospitals in neighboring towns in the state of Gujarat, but all had no vacancies. With no other choice, Makwana had to bring his father, who had been diagnosed with a serious illness, back to the village. “We were shocked by the second wave. The whole village was shocked, everyone was scared,” Makwana said. “I know many people in the village who died from COVID-19. I thought that my father wouldn’t make it either.” A volunteer cremates people in Chogath village, Gujarat, on May 9. Photo: CNN Pharmacist Jeetu, affectionately known by the villagers as “Jeetu”, gave Makwana’s father some medicine to help stabilize his health. Makwana’s sister and mother are also infected with the SARS-CoV2 virus. Located on the veranda of the house, Makwana’s mother gasped, next to a picture of Hindu gods hanging high on the wall. “I worry about my family,” said Mr. Jivraj, Makwana’s father. “If I die, my family doesn’t know how I will live. I’m not afraid of death, but I’m worried about my wife.” Mr. Girjashankar, 70, helped the villagers cremate the bodies. He filled the tractors with wood and brought them into the village to make a funeral pyre. The village usually records only about 30 people dead each year but over the past month they have cremated 90 bodies. Some families have lost many members because of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. A man was vaccinated with COVID-19 vaccine in Guwahati, India on May 8. Photo: CNN Some experts and government committee members think the second wave of infections may be nearing a peak, meaning that daily new infections will soon drop. However, high mortality is predicted to persist throughout the month. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government has worked to respond to this crisis by sending oxygen sources to many states and distributing medical supplies from abroad. But supply shortages mean most of the support will be shipped to the most densely populated cities with the highest number of infections, leaving villages like Chogath on their own when SARS-CoV-2 virus. attack of households. “The village doesn’t get government support, there are no doctors, there is no way to go to major hospitals,” said Girjashankar. “No one is looking at this place, there are no government employees to support us.” Jeetu said he was “very angry” because the village lacked help from the authorities. “But what can we do?” He said. “We don’t have a solution, the people here are very poor.” Meanwhile, the villagers have no choice but to wait for help and pray they will recover. “All the villagers are scared. For the past 15 to 20 days, no one comes out of the house. Everyone was very worried,” Makwana said.