Daily Post 1288
HEALTH INTELLIGENCE
It is difficult to pass a value judgement in hindsight of the impact of this professional discipline on the nature of spread of Corona and the effective steps which could have been taken on time, if the complexity of this unfolding health crisis could have been better known. Whether Ebola and SARS have been a subject of specialised study for the Indian health practitioners and health planners and decision makers is unknown. Whether virus tracking and research is done as matter of routine for pre warning or everything starts with mainline media disseminating such news. Might be not to the level of Cyclones, but mitigation can happen at a much better level of preparedness had right inputs been forthcoming at right time, analysed and acted upon.
Whether the public domain medical information was given time is needed by the top medical brains, their application of mind, analysis of its consequences and action will remain in realm of the unknown. The experiences of lots of countries gives a clear indication of not only that there was no Health Intelligence. The authorities that be, did not have time and energy to apply their mind and face the issue head on. The tales of couples of classic spread speaks of total callousness. The unfolding medical emergency could not be connected to it’s causes or it’s likely damage.
Health Intelligence is directly proportional to how our medical brains and decision makers are connected across the globe. While we work on insulated national lines, the viruses don’t. The impact of air traffic based on the flight and passenger pattern has led to immense damage. Are we in a position to get the correlations and patterns of an dynamic and emerging situation on the fly? Does our system allow us to test our actions and its impact nearly accurately. Health Intelligence has to develop as a specific discipline with Big Data Analytics, Machine Learning and Artificial intelligence built into it.
We will fail again, if we don’t rise to the realities of the changed new world. Health intelligence, action and preparedness will our existential challenge for the next few years to come. Corporatisation of hospitals, the approach of Pharmaceutical and medical engineering companies and snail’s pace governance response to health issues cannot bring any glory. Harsh realities are being taught the harshest way. Let’s not try our fate again, instead take things under control in peacetime itself.
HEALTH INTELLIGENCE SHOULD BECOME A ROBUST FIELD OF STUDY.