With India’s utterly decrepit and ill-managed healthcare system exposed to the world our leaders should not have the privilege of basking in their false success of ever having been the “pharmacy of the world” with just about 20% of global vaccine production. In fact the country today is begging for elementary medicines besides medical equipment and oxygen supplies from anybody and everybody wishing to donate. Why would the Diaspora not be welcomed then in this atmosphere, particularly those who have friends and relatives in India many of whom may have already fallen prey to the deadly variant raging the country?

Ramping up vaccination production and making it available to all citizens, increasing the volume of medical oxygen, ICU beds, ventilators and oxygen concentrators on a war footing, and above all giving a sincere call to the five million plus medical fraternity of the GID to assist India in any way should be the need of the hour.

—The writer is a retired diplomat and had served in the MOIA from 2004-07