The government relied on modellers, or theoreticians, rather than field-level epidemiologists who are better acquainted with disease transmission dynamics. Reddy, former Professor & Head, Community Medicine, IMS, BHU and Dr. Sanjay Zodpey, President, IAPSM and Vice-President-Academics, Public Health were among those who were advising the government and signatories to the letter. While the lockdown slowed the transmission of disease, open and transparent data sharing with scientists, public health professionals and indeed the public at large, were “conspicuous by its absence”. Among its suggestion the group notes that the government should rapidly scale up public health and allocate 5% of GDP to health expenditure at the Centre and State level. While the lockdown slowed the transmission of disease, open and transparent data sharing with scientists, public health professionals and indeed the public at large, were “conspicuous by its absence”.

Source: The Hindu May 31, 2020 11:08 UTC