The Civil Hospital in Ahmedabad, a city in the Indian state of Gujarat on Wednesday turned to the gods for help as hundreds of ambulances carrying COVID-positive patients have been lining up outside the hospital for several days now. With a capacity of 1,200 beds, the hospital is the largest facility prepared to tackle the pandemic in Ahmadabad.
Around a holy pyre, priests have gathered in the hospital campus chanting Sanskrit mantras, praying for the deadly disease to dissolve. Videos of the prayer rituals being conducted at the hospital have emerged online.
Gujarat: State-run New Civil Hospital arranges for yagna to get rid of #Covid19 in South Gujarat. pic.twitter.com/Htee0aJkOt
— Aarif Shah (@aarifshaah) April 14, 2021
Sputnik reached out to the hospital, but the authorities did not comment on the situation there.
The prayer video has triggered more panic among Indians who are questioning the doctors if they have lost faith in medical sciences. Some people however supported the prayers, saying anything that brings peace during these tough times must be considered.
So are hospitals finally giving up on medical science?!?!
— ASISH DASH (@dashasish) April 14, 2021
Docs should now get certificate courses on hymns rather than anatomy
Even God can't help check the spread if social distancing is not followed
— maitreyi srivastava (@MaitreyiSri) April 14, 2021
Do what you will to find peace of mind in these times but do so safely.
— Siddhesh kale (@siddheshkale) April 14, 2021
With scorching summer weather taking over the state, the hospitals are flooding with patients.
Not only is Gujarat witnessing a shortage of medical equipment and beds, the state is also struggling with a shortage of mortuary vans and cremation grounds.
The residents of Gujarat have been trying to get more locals inoculated. Amid rising cases recently, the goldsmith community of Gujarat’s Rajkot city had begun distributing gold nose pins and hand blenders to people getting vaccinated against Coronavirus.
Recognising the “health emergency”, the Gujarat High Court has initiated a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) over the state’s Coronavirus situation under the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government that rules the state.
Meanwhile, India surpassed Brazil earlier this week to become the second most COVID-infected country after the US.
On Wednesday, India recorded its biggest-ever single day spike with 184,372 fresh cases along with 1,027 fatalities in the last 24 hours. With this, India's total COVID tally has shot up to 13,873,825 cases along with 172,115 deaths, as per India’s health ministry.
