Covid-19 is new, our old friends are still there.

"As India grapples with coronavirus, cases of bird flu, H1N1 has surfaced in Bihar. Deaths of hundreds of crows and other birds have been reported from Patna, Nalanda and Nawada district, which were confirmed for bird flu. Cases of swine flu have also been reported from Bhagalpur and Rohtas, and action is being taken in this regard, informed the secretary of the department." As winter has receded mosquitoes are out in force. Last year India recorded 136,422 cases of dengue, of which 4,155 were in the capital Delhi. Mortality rate in dengue is 1% but for severe cases can reach 20% if left untreated. By September last year, number of malaria cases stood at 304 in Delhi. To tackle an expected surge in coronavirus cases. "Every Indian state today has similar priorities: add new beds, increase capacity of intensive care units, requisition portions of private hospitals, order life-saving ventilators, recruit medical practitioners on contract, weigh in on extending services of retiring doctors and nurses and earmark select government hospitals for Covid-19 patients." "Sample this: Italy has 4.1 doctors and 3.4 hospital beds per 1,000 persons. Yet its infrastructure appears to be crumbling today. In comparison, India has 0.8 doctors and 0.7 hospital beds per 1,000 persons, according to the World Bank..." But reserving hospitals beds for coronavirus patients creates a shortage for patients suffering from other serious ailments. "Deaths due to cardiovascular diseases in India increased from 1.3 million in 1990 to 2.8 million in 2016, and more than half the deaths caused by heart ailments in 2016 were in persons less than 70 years of age, according to the study, 'The Changing Patterns of Cardiovascular Diseases and Their Risk Factors in the States of India: The Global Burden of Disease Study 1990-2016'." As ICU beds are diverted to treating coronavirus patients what happens to these patients whose lives could be saved by early treatment? With the economy at a standstill Prime Minister Narendra Modi asked companies to pay all their staff on time and protect families of the poor. To encourage small firms to retain their workers the government will bear the cost of provident fund contribution of employers for three months. How will the government pay for all this when tax collections could fall by Rs 2.5 trillion in the last financial year ended 31 March. The central government is asking for contributions to the Prime Minister's Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations Fund (PM CARES). However, given the stress, the government has forgotten the richest segment of Indian society. The Lok Sabha has 475 multi-millionaires and 52 of the 70 members of Delhi Assembly are multi-millionaires. If all our elected representatives, who compete to love the poor by announcing myriad handouts with taxpayer money, were to contribute just 10% of their wealth, PM CARES will raise trillions of rupees. Problem solved.