PETpla.net Insider 05 / 2020

TOP TALK PETplanet Insider Vol. 21 No. 05/20 www.petpla.net 10 Experts discuss the coronavirus crisis in India.We spoke to Rajesh Nath, Managing Director, VDMA India (Mechanical Engineering Industry Association) Coronavirus in India: A snapshot and view from the world’s largest democracy by Kay Barton The coronavirus lockdown in India has been extended until May 3, 2020. In common with other countries in the world, the government has taken that decision in order to slow down the further spread of the virus. While the strategy is almost certainly the right one, India faces a lot of issues in terms of the comprehensive availability of health care and COVID-19 tests especially. Outside metropolitan areas, infrastructure is poor and the even basic health support can be difficult to find. On the other hand, extremely densely populated areas in India’s mega cities, mostly inhabited by poorer people, can see the pandemic situation escalate. With the imposition of virus-related provisions and restrictions, the economy of the world’s largest democracy slowed down heavily and led to countless employee dismissals nationwide, especially in the informal segments, which currently account for nearly 90% of the entire economy. We spoke with Rajesh Nath about the overall and personal situ- ation and about his estimation of the situation in India. As Managing Director of the VDMA in India, you are essentially the link between Europe and India for the mechanical engineering industry with its over 3,300 associ- ated members. We would therefore really like to hear your views on what the situation is currently like on the ground. Is the Indian health- care system prepared for a pos- sible pandemic and to what extent would companies who count on daily wages and poorly educated people be affected if workers were absent due to illness? Rajesh Nath: The system is completely unprepared for a pan- demic. There could be problems, especially in rural areas or where there is a rapid increase in the number of people contracting the virus. The current lockdown is affect- ing this group of people particularly badly. They are not working at pre- sent and have left their jobs during the lockdown in order to be with their families. PETplanet Insider: What are the economic and health risks posed by the virus for India and how best can they be addressed? Rajesh Nath: India is one of the most populous countries in the world which means that, in health terms, it is almost inevitable that the virus will spread. The country’s population is relatively young which could buck the trend. However, general health- care provision is inadequate across India and the number of people with pre-existing conditions may be a sign of increased mortality rates due to the virus. The trouble is that even the experts are divided on this. The main danger to the economy is a rise in the number of unemployed Rajesh Nath working from home and joined by his pug “Zorro“ PETplanet Insider: Dear Rajesh. It is really kind of you to take the time to talk to us about what is happening in your country during these very challenging times. We have known each other for more than 10 years and worked on many joint projects together in and around India. Now we find ourselves in the middle of the COVID-19 crisis. We are due to be back in Mumbai as a partner of the Drink Technology India (DTI) exhibition in December, depending, of course, on how the virus develops. So far, India has received little in the way of press coverage here in Europe. However, as a regular visitor to India, I am familiar with the often-unhealthy living and sanitation conditions experienced by the lower social classes, e.g. in densely populated big-city slums and in poorly edu- cated rural communities.