DailyPost 1665
PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY
Optimism and day dreaming cannot be one and the same thing. At times it is brought down to wishful thinking bit that too cannot sort out issues. With Dooms Day looming large on the horizon, the slew of non-impact making decisions made by governments coupled with the track record of enforcement, will not suffice for sure. Awareness, requests and appealing to the good sense of whosoever, can be treated as acts of both weakness and outright irresponsibility. The Unaccountability Inc. is showing its true colours. At the end of the day everyone is left to fend for himself and the medical fraternity with the patients pay a price for it.
If we miss out the gory scenes of this tragedy unfolding and see advertisements, rallies and discussions on the TV, one may end up getting a feeling of life as usual. The endless government advertisements while this tragedy is unfolding in such a gruesome manner is a sad manifestation of the mindsets we have create during peacetime. There is an old adage, ”the more you sweat in peace, the less you bleed in war.” When the danger was impending, COVID-19 was hitting a second time the world over, we had declared our victory. With the mindset of declaring success after success from Rajasthan to Kerala to Karnataka, who had the time to slog it out with the health infrastructure.
Delay in lockdown in any city, state or the country is suicidal. Whatever might be the variant of the virus, there is no denying the fact that this is the most effective tool to break the transmission. Livelihood will happen only if life is there. Criticism and governance are strange bedfellows. Just because there were issues with lockdown last year does not mean that it can never be imposed, whatever come may. Might be we have crossed the lockdown stage given the gravity of the situation, now it can only be an outright war. Even a lockdown may not be able to break the chain given the state of hospitals, testing, cremation grounds etc. Is there any way we can enforce COVID-19 appropriate behaviour there.
Declaring a National Health Emergency and putting all resources in a concerted manner is the only option left. Fighting COVID-19 should be the sole task of the nation. All governments, public sector and the private sector too. The defence forces have always done us proud by protecting us, in this state of national health emergency they can effectively facilitate the turn around. That discipline, task orientation, single command & control, never say never say approach and enforcement To a T is the dire need of the hour. Time seems to be running out fast, an all-out war against COVID-19 while bringing everything else to total standstill is what country is yearning for. We can only survive together, there cannot be any other option.
COVID-19 EMERGENCY DEMANDS SUPERHUMAN EFFORT. IT CAN ONLY HAPPEN IF WE CAN PUT OUR ACT TOGETHER.
Sanjay Sahay