'No disappointment, but one Sriramulu can't do all the work'

In the early weeks of the pandemic, Karnataka was a model to be emulated. But with Covid-19 numbers rising in the state, that perception is changing. Health & Family Welfare Minister B Sriramulu, the head of the state’s Covid-19 task force, remains optimistic though, as he tells DH’s Shruthi HM Sastry.

Q. Karnataka was projected to see 25,000 cases by mid-August, but already, Bengaluru alone has crossed 30,000 cases. Where did the government go wrong?

A. The first lockdown was a success. By the time we imposed the second lockdown, there was already a lot of movement of people from various states, especially to Bengaluru. This led to a rise in Covid-19 cases. The government has not been lax. The chief minister is working on this round the clock. We have put in place all possible infrastructure to deal with the pandemic.

Q. Are lockdowns effective anymore? At a time when the government’s revenues have fallen, what is the way forward?

A. We have imposed lockdown in certain districts. We are working towards more precautionary measures. The public, too, has to cooperate. Even during the lockdown, we see people moving around, defying it. Going forward, the chief minister has clearly said ‘no’ to another lockdown. We will increase testing. We have got about three lakh antigen kits recently. We will buy more.

Q. The government is saying there is enough infrastructure in place. However, people are unable to access this infrastructure. There have been so many such instances.

A. The reason we made the bed allotment process online was to ensure that there was no confusion in this. If there are any persistent issues, we will sort it out.

Q. Delay in test reports has been a persistent issue, too. People have to wait for several days to get their report.

A. The challenge has been that in some labs, the lab technicians themselves are testing positive, after which labs have to be shut down for a few days. There have been delays where machine recalibration was required. We are sorting all this out. The solution is to increase labs in each district and to increase testing. With the antigen testing in place, we will get to know the results within 30 minutes. We are working toward this.

Q. The death of a 28-year-old pourakarmika in Bengaluru has triggered outrage about lack of protective equipment for frontline workers. Why hasn’t government provided adequate safety gear?

A. Be it ASHA, Anganwadi or other frontline workers, we have made all precautionary gear available. We will ensure that such incidents do not recur. The government will also offer compensation to the victim’s family in this case.

Q. AYUSH doctors are protesting for salary on par with MBBS graduates. Will you address their demand?

A. Their contention has been that they are working since several years with poor pay. We have now increased the salary of AYUSH PG students from Rs 15,000 to Rs 40,000 a month. Recently, we announced that weightage will be given to experience while recruiting MBBS doctors. AYUSH doctors have demanded the same. We will discuss this with the CM and resolve the issue.

Q. There was controversy over your ‘God alone can save us’ comment.

A. I will give you the context (of the statement). Opposition leaders were alleging that there is no coordination among the ministers and that we had failed to address the pandemic. All I wanted to say was that the government was doing everything it could and that it was not right for Opposition parties to make these allegations when the government was working so hard. I also wanted to say that today, when all temples are closed, it’s the doctors who are doing the work for us at the frontline. I was comparing doctors to God. My statement was edited and misinterpreted, and it went viral.

Q. Medical Education Minister K Sudhakar, in a way, has become the face of Covid-19 management. In Bengaluru, CM picked Revenue Minister R Ashoka to handle the crisis briefly. It is said that you are unhappy and sulking.

A. I have no such disappointment. One Ramulu cannot do all the work. We have to work together. Today, in Bengaluru itself, we see a minister designated. It’s teamwork. Sudhakar is a first-time minister and has been working enthusiastically. I have no problem with that. As for me, I have been continuously travelling ever since the first death was reported in Kalaburagi. There was a lot of panic in the state. I began my travel at that time in this district. I put an action plan into place after discussing with all local officials. We created a 5-km buffer zone, detailed out precautionary measures and tried to build confidence among the frontline workers. I visited all the districts – twice, at that -- across the state to assess the ground situation.

Q. What should the public prepare for? When is the curve likely to flatten?

A. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) analysis, the cases are likely to reduce in October or November.

Q. Moving away from Covid-19, the Justice Nagamohan Das committee has recently submitted its report on increasing reservations for SC/ST communities in the state. You have been consistently demanding a hike in reservation for the Valmiki (ST) community.

A. I am optimistic that this report will be positive. I’m confident that based on the population, the Valmiki community will get an increase in quota. Justice Nagamohan Das has handed over the report to the CM in a sealed cover. It’s not right to push the issue in the midst of the pandemic. But once the situation eases, the government will take it forward.