Maharashtra Congress leader Dr Ashish Deshmukh recently asked PM Modi to impose a state of Emergency in the state, citing the raging coronavirus outbreak. In a letter addressed to PM Modi, Deshmukh said the COVID-19 crisis in Maharashtra has gone out of control and asked the centre to impose a health and financial emergency in the state for at least two months as per Article 360 of the Constitution of India.
Deshmukh had said that the condition in Maharashtra is worsening as the number of COVID-19 positive cases are increasing at an alarming rate and putting the health infrastructure of the state under tremendous pressure. He also added that the grievous surge in the coronavirus caseloads has also meant that the stocks of essential drugs and medicines are in short supply.
Wrote a letter to The Hon’ble Prime Minister for Proclamation of Health as well as Financial Emergency looking to pandemic arisen out of COVID-19 disease in State of Maharashtra as per Article 360 of Constitution of India at least for two months.#PMOIndia #COVID19 @PMOIndia pic.twitter.com/0ULCzEGW7p
— Dr. Ashish Deshmukh (@AshishRDeshmukh) April 20, 2021
“I am deeply saddened by the present chaos created because of COVID-19 pandemic and I would like to request that this is high time when the Government of India should proclaim Health Emergency followed by Financial Emergency as given under Article 360 of Constitution of India in the State of Maharashtra with immediate effect at least to two months, so as to get the State to normalcy,” Deshmukh said in his letter.
Deshmukh further added, “I humbly request to kindly invoke the powers under Article 360 of the Constitution of India and to proclaim Health as well as Financial Emergency in the State of Maharashtra, so that our fight against COVID-19 would be much better and I hope that there would help in saving precious lives of people and by giving much needed better medical facilities for COVID management in the State of Maharashtra.”
The former Maharashtra MLA also pointed out the travails suffered by the patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. He said that the number of COVID-19 cases in Maharashtra as compared to the rest of the country is disturbing. He also added that the increasing number of COVID-19 cases is creating chaos and panic in the state of Maharashtra.
“The COVID-19 outbreak has led to complete failure of Health system in Maharashtra where patients are unable to get the beds, oxygen and the life-saving drugs. The Administration and Health System of Maharashtra State are failing and this has increased the overall death toll. The most heart-rending situation can be seen at funeral places where there is waiting for dead bodies to be cremated and there is non-availability of wood for the cremation,” he said.
Maharashtra is one of the worst-affected states by the coronavirus pandemic. The total number of cases in Maharashtra has crossed the 3.84 million mark, and over 60,000 people have died of the infection so far.
