WHAT NEXT TO DO
Now we are in the middle of the second wave of the pandemic COVID 19 and struggling to find the things at their places but feeling not capable to do so. We are struggling on all fronts like those of data collection, tracking and treatment facilities and vaccination. In fact it is sorry to state that we have treated the pandemic as a health issue alone treatable at hospitals and this approach is the root of all failures. COVID 19 is a not a disease which can be fought at the medical centers alone. Rather it's a public health issue having the capacity to infect the communities at super jet speed and no amount of vaccination or medical treatmen alone are going to help us in our fight against the pandemic. Unfortunately we have ignored the lessons we got from our success in anti kalazar , anti polio, anti malaria campaigns. Intensive scientific research coupled with strengthening of public health system at the grassroot level, extensive survey and mapping , awareness programmes and then vaccination could bring desired results. Any centralized attitude and planning are not going to give us desired results. At the same time only health department is not capable to give us favourable outcome. Intensive coordination among health, education, sanitation, woman & Child Care, information & technology , transportation , science & technology, labour, and finance departments can produce the impact. At the same time in place of centralized Command system states must be given enough autonomy with the direction to involve local self government units. We must not ignore the reality that the virus has shown it's journey from urban, industrial and business hubs to the lower settlements. If spread is not contained at the beginning itself no amount of efforts can check the spread . So what we do not really need is the dictates from the top all the time and what we really need is a broad based interdepartmental/interministrial working group at the center/state level under which supervision local goverments must be given free hand to tackle the situation. Central involvement should be limited to provide finance and infrastructural facilities and to sponsor research and development works. Unless we start relying the smaller units of governance under the general control, guidance and supervision of the higher executive we can't succeed. And in this whole process non governmental organizations and civil societies must be given ample liberty to function to achieve the collective goal. Our efforts , for both short term and long term strategies must involve-
*Research
*Survey and mapping
*Engagement of various departments
*Mass awareness
*Intensive and aggressive vaccination
*Fortification of hospitals and other medical facilities
*Extending helping hand to those who are in need
*Massive drive against price rise and hoarding.
Remember , man is not a machine, so human behaviour must be taken into consideration in dealing with the pandemic. And identify the truth that a sick population is not an economic resource, it's a financial liability.