It was amusing to read NRI Commissioner Narendra Sawaikar’s very laughable statement that the authorities in Goa were closely monitoring the COVID-19 crisis in Europe and across the world. Does the government think that Goans are morons? Perhaps Narendra Sawaikar thinks that NRI stands for Not Really Interested in Goa’s rapidly worsening pandemic disaster. What lessons if any have the Government learnt by monitoring the global situation and more importantly actioned as a result?
The reality is that the authorities have failed on all fronts in dealing with the pandemic. They have lost control and the plot and it has been mismanagement galore.The State which was not long ago patting itself on the back for being in the Green Zone has today over 35000 confirmed cases while the death toll is inching to 500. They never had an effective plan in the first place to either prepare for or deal effectively with this pandemic over the last seven months. The virus has always been 10 steps ahead of the government and thrived in its inaction. The Goa Government would be well advised that instead of daydreaming of monitoring the pandemic globally it should make serious efforts in our own now precarious backyard to save every possible life. Very genuine steps must be taken urgently not mere cosmetic action. It is high time that the ruling politicians realize that this raging pandemic is about showing leadership and rescuing every patient in distress, medically and economically. It must not be an opportunity to enrich their pockets, instead it should be the one and only priority which is to save lives and help those whose lives have been shattered in other ways. This pandemic has been a wake up call for our Government to overhaul the pathetic and inadequate health and care system and urgently provide more well equipped, well resourced, state of the art facilities that people can easily and readily access 24/7 rather than treating their lives as a lottery. No doubt your monitoring Mr. Sawaikar shows that this pandemic is a marathon not a sprint that demands focused leadership and urgent action not mere words. Focusing on their key responsibility of protecting and helping people has never been a priority for this Government; vanity projects and cheap gestures have. As a result, Goans are paying a price with their fear, anxiety, suffering and even death. Words are meaningless when actions are worthless. Dreams and endless monitoring won’t get us anywhere; only actions do; actions create results. Aires Rodrigues Advocate High Court C/G-2, Shopping Complex Ribandar Retreat, Ribandar – Goa – 403006 Mobile No: 9822684372 Office Tel No: (0832) 2444012 Email: [email protected] Or [email protected] You can also reach me on Facebook.com/ AiresRodrigues Twitter@rodrigues_aires www.airesrodrigues.com
