Retired IAS officer who handled the 1994 plague in Surat and other health epidemics in her career Shailaja Chandra tells ThePrint's national affairs editor Jyoti Malhotra hat even though the central govt has no direct role in public health management as health is a state subject, in a crisis like the ongoing Covid-19 outbreak, the system kicks in and from the Union health minister down to the District Magistrate, everyone knows exactly what to do. Ms Chandra explained the district-state-centre dynamics and the discussions that take place during natural calamities and epidemics.