The much touted Gujarat model under scanner as second Covid-19 wave stings

As of mid-April, Gujarat had crossed 5,000 deaths since the pandemic first hit. The clogged health infrastructure, in terms of bed occupancies, has been alarming

With the intensifying second wave creating a rush to procure the anti-viral drug remdesivir, a leading Gujarati daily, Divya Bhaskar, recently made news by printing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) state chief C R Paatil’s mobile number on its front page.

The move was in response to the controversy sparked by Paatil, who claimed he had procured 5,000 remdesivir injections in Surat, though he had refused to divulge the source. Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani later evaded the question, maintaining that he wasn’t aware how Paatil had procured the drug.

The second wave has brought the state under scanner, with the much touted