AERIAL VIEW
Worse still, the politicians have continued to play politics and seen this as a chance of minting money.
They leave no chance to take credit for defeating the COVID19 as if they were the ones treating each patient. The real heroes who stayed with patients and treated them are nowhere in the scene. What they get is a felicitation with a bouquet and certificate. It would be worth mentioning here that several health workers have lost their lives in Goa too.
The Chief Minister, Dr Pramod Sawant, had promised 20 p.c while in salary for frontline workers but 18 months down the line, there is no progress.
SURAJ NANDREKAR
Editor, Goenkarponn
In the last 18 months, Goa and India have seen unprecedented situation due to COVID19 Pandemic.
The citizens have faced severe hardships as they have lost jobs, seen businesses collapse. Moreover, over three thousand innocent Goans have lost lives to the dreaded virus.
People have lost their near and dear ones, teenagers, have been orphaned. Some has lost mother, father, brother, sister, daughter. These two years of life have been the most tragic.
Worse still, the politicians have continued to play politics and seen this as a chance of minting money.
They leave no chance to take credit for defeating the COVID19 as if they were the ones treating each patient. The real heroes who stayed with patients and treated them are nowhere in the scene. What they get is a felicitation with a bouquet and certificate. It would be worth mentioning here that several health workers have lost their lives in Goa too.
The Chief Minister, Dr Pramod Sawant, had promised 20 p.c while in salary for frontline workers but 18 months down the line, there is no progress.
Can we ask you, Mr CM, why the health workers were not paid their dues? They have worked a day in and day out. Made several sacrifices, stayed away from home for months together. Why this injustice to them, sir?
The Chief Minister and Health Minister kept blaming each other during the peak of COVID19, but the health workers silently did the work of saving lives. If the health workers, too, would have blamed for poor infrastructure and facilities and stayed away from work, Goa would have seen lakhs of casualties.
Irrespective of caste, creed, rich-poor, our health workers gave their hundred per cent and treated every patient like their own.
But in the end, the politicians walked away with the cream, and the health workers got Babaji ka thullu.
No sir, the health workers did not work in expectation of any incentive. Their only motive was to save as many lives as possible. They did not ask you for any special facilities; they just wanted good equipment, oxygen, medicines, and disposables, which the two top ministers failed to give.
However, though the workers did not ask for anything, it was the duty of the chief minister and health minister to award them at least with what was assured to them.
This year too, the Ganesh festival has come amidst the COVID19. The pandemic is not over yet. People are still dying; cases are reported every day. Worse still, the State has no SOP’s in place, so there are no restrictions.
The only thing that has changed is the politician’s attitude; they feel COVID19 is over and ready for election rallies. We have seen what happened after the West Bengal election. Entire India has suffered due to huge rallies in the State.
It is not the politicians who will suffer but the health workers if the third wave hits Goa. The health workers will again have to go through the worst o those times if the third wave hits Goa.
All that we can pray to Lord Ganesh this year is that give some wisdom to the politicians of Goa because unless they become wise, Goa will continue to suffer.