The war is between the intelligibility of the bad virus Covid 19 and the Human. This war started with Wei Guixian , the patient or victim zero (The Economic Times). In these tough times the world is more concerned about the accuracy of data updates than actions taken on the gaps which are still left unattended. We have to learn a lot from small countries like Taiwan, Singapore and Japan which handled it well. This war can in later times, will initiate further major fragmentation of the European Union. But on the other hand, many South Asian countries (like Pakistan, China, Nepal, India, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka) the picture is not so rosy. These nations failed to work together. As of now, not even one academic journal is calling for papers and policy documents indicating the effects of Covid 19 in South Asian countries.
| Significant measures which need to be taken care of in future
● One of the most important aspects of the Covid 19 pandemic is taking care of psycho-social challenges in tough times ahead. There is a need to have a protocol which provides dignified burial of the dead bodies who die from Covid 19 . This will help fight the fear of general public regarding the pandemic.[1] ● A Ministry of Clinical Management should be established. ● Validated government owned testing centers should be opened. They should work on rapid test technologies. ● Medical testing/Diagnostic Tests should be made a fundamental right/duty. It should be compulsory lifetime health check. ● A Regional Testing Officer should be appointed by the government. Quarterly testing of its citizens should be made mandatory by these regional agencies. These agencies must submit weekly report on the actions taken for immediate/real-time reporting.
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In all, these countries have shown their self-centric approach. As medical practitioners were dealing with heterogeneous cases of Covid 19 in India they were forced to leave their rented homes due to the unfounded fear of landlords of catching Covid 19 infection from them (Rahman). However, this was prevented with the direct involvement of the government of India. The Delhi government has taken considerable steps to ensure the safety of the people involved in direct healing, in hospitals. In India, the mortality rate remained quite low as compared to other nations: 747 out of a total population of 1.3 billion. Perhaps it is due to low testing rates in India (Subramanya). The Prime Minister of India had constantly remained in touch with the citizens through his speeches on national television (PM Office). But he did not interact with the national and global press for one-to-one dialogue/conversation. His dynamic interaction would have charged Indians with more gusto in this difficult time. With an increasing use of Facebook and Twitter in India, most of the Indian users use mimes and jokes on Covid 19.
| Significant measures which need to be taken care of in future
● To create new-competence in public health there is a need to inculcate posts of Medical Practitioner/ Teacher in all educational institutions. ● Inclusion of new syllabi (which should centre on teaching students the basic tenants of medicine, Ayurveda and Yoga). ● The care of medical practitioners dealing with the patients of Covid 19 should be given high priority (social, psychological and economic in particular) and a guideline for the same should also be issued by the authorities. ● Doctors and medical staff in many hospitals remained inactive due to fewer cases of Covid-19 in some districts of India. Whereas, in some hospitals the medical staff remained without work. Thus, mobilization of medical staff to overworked area was not managed. ● Creation of Universal Pandemic Fund/Card/Human Resource. ● In pandemic the rights of animals should also be taken care of. There are cases where the stray animals are dying out of hunger on the streets. ● The lock down was environment friendly. To continue with the lessons learnt governments should restrict the use of vehicles at least once in a week.
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On the one hand, it shows the casual approach of the layman locked inside their homes. But on the other, it also works as a stress buster to fight against the deadly disease (Deccan Herald ). With offering direct services to the deprived, charity and so on Indian citizens are doing their best to combat this contagious disease. Genuine fear of the Covid 19 patients was about going through the process of quarantine and the treatment of dead bodies. This fear could have also have been addressed in a better way. Indian government adopted soft to hard measures to implement its lock down orders. But during lock-down period the poor jobless migrant laborers, uncertain of their lives and livelihood, moved out of their rented homes and walked hundreds of miles from towns to reach their native lands. Most of them were caught in between, disinfectants were sprinkled on them, they were beaten up and the videos of their misery made viral on social media by the Indian police (News 18). There is a need to inculcate better methods of barriers by the government. In India no one is spending money. This will, in future, result in complete shutdown of economic activities, unemployment and hoarding of currency. But this recession can also convert into economic boom for sure. In coming times there will be job opportunities in the field of health care across the world. The northern region of India (Kashmir) is prone to terror attacks. In future, India has to understand that even the terrorists might have learnt the new ways of spreading terror. There is no denying the fact that the future terror attacks can be biological. With growing discomfort and distress in general public there can be threats to the political positions of some states in coming times.
[1] WHO already has protocol for the patients who die from suspected Ebola or Marburg virus disease but protocol on Covid 19 has not been issued as yet.
