Showing posts with label Mental Health. Show all posts

Monday, 3 May 2021

Standing Together: COVID-19 Awareness and Community Responsibility.

What Is Important?

India, like many countries, has faced unimaginable pain and loss due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It has shaken not only our healthcare system and economy but also the very structure of our society. Amid all of this, one must ask — what is truly important right now? Is it debating over political parties, attending crowded events, or arguing about who’s to blame? Or is it saving lives, supporting one another, and making responsible decisions that can actually help our country recover?

As we battle a health emergency of this scale, it’s time we step back and reflect — not just on what has happened but also on what we, as a nation and as individuals, are doing right now. We must ask ourselves — Are we focusing on what’s truly important?

The Politics of a Pandemic

In today’s India, while the country bleeds, politicians are busy pointing fingers at one another. Television debates are filled with heated arguments, blame games, and political drama. Social media is flooded with hashtags supporting one leader and defaming the other. But do these debates help a family trying to arrange an oxygen cylinder? Do they save the life of a patient waiting outside a hospital for a bed?

The truth is, political discussions, party promotions, and election rallies should not be a priority in a health emergency. Unfortunately, many political parties have used this crisis to push their agenda. Even as hospitals ran out of oxygen and crematoriums overflowed, some leaders focused on public appearances, rallies, and votes.

And while politics certainly has a place in democracy, in a pandemic, human lives must come first. This is not the time to build reputations — it is a time to build resilience.

Responsibility — Who Is Truly to Blame?

Many are quick to shift the blame to the central government, state authorities, foreign countries, or even citizens. But is it that simple? Is there one single group we can hold entirely responsible for the COVID-19 disaster?

No. The truth is, we all are responsible, in one way or another.

The country where the virus originated must be held accountable for its initial lack of transparency.
The governments, both central and state, must accept their failure in preparing for the second wave, despite warnings.
Political leaders must accept their mistake in prioritising elections, massive public events, and ignoring health warnings.
And citizens, to,o must take responsibility for ignoring safety measures, refusing to follow guidelines, and treating the virus casually.

This pandemic is not just a political failure or a medical emergency. It is a collective failure of systems and of people to treat a global threat with the seriousness it demands.

The Death Waves — And the Lessons Not Learned

The first wave of COVID-19, between December 2019 and December 2020, was a storm that hit the entire world. We were caught off guard. Hospitals struggled, doctors worked nonstop, and people lived in fear and uncertainty. India, like other nations, imposed lockdowns, improved health infrastructure, and learned to adapt.

But when the second wave began in March 2021, something shocking happened — we acted like the pandemic was over. There were huge gatherings, festivals, weddings, election rallies, and cricket matches with packed stadiums. People removed masks, abandoned sanitisers, and resumed life as if COVID was just a bad memory.

And the virus returned — stronger, deadlier, and more widespread.

India recorded over 17 million cases, and the numbers kept rising. The official death rate may have been around 3%, but in reality, people were dying every minute. Not from the virus alone, but from lack of oxygen, unavailability of beds, shortage of essential medicines, and sheer medical helplessness. People were crying for help on social media, waiting in ambulances, or dying in their homes without treatment.

What’s more painful is that most of this was preventable — had we behaved more cautiously, had the system prepared itself for a second wave, had there been better leadership and less complacency.

The Real Scary Truth

What’s happening in India is not just a health emergency — it’s a human tragedy of massive proportions.

Political parties are distributing medical supplies, but with their name and logo on them. Are they helping people, or helping their image?
Social distancing is still being ignored. Weddings, religious events, and election rallies continue. How is this acceptable in such times?
Black marketing has reached horrifying levels. Life-saving medicines, oxygen cylinders, and even hospital beds are being sold at 2–3 times the actual cost. People who cannot afford this are left to die.
Medical exploitation is at its worst. There are horrifying reports of some corrupt doctors and hospitals removing organs from dead patients or even causing deaths to profit from body parts. While this is not common and certainly not what most doctors stand for, it does show the depth of moral decay that can happen when systems collapse.

And in all this chaos, students and the younger generation are being robbed of their education, their peace of mind, and their future. Switching between online and offline learning, missing out on practical experiences, and living in fear — they are paying a heavy price, too.

The Economic Collapse

As the health system crumbled, so did the economy. Every sector — from manufacturing to tourism, education to entertainment, daily wages to big businesses — took a major hit.

Jobs were lost.
Businesses were shut down.
Poverty increased.
And the gap between the rich and poor widened more than ever before.

If things don’t improve soon, India might face long-term consequences, not just in terms of health but also in economic recovery, education gaps, and mental health crises.

What Needs to Be Done — Right Now

So, after everything, what is important?

Not political wins.
Not image-building.
Not attending large gatherings.
Not being careless.

What is important is:

Saving lives.
Supporting healthcare workers.
Improving infrastructure.
Promoting science and facts.
Ensuring mental health support.
Helping each other — as fellow humans, not as members of political groups or religious communities.

This is not the time to hold elections, as seen in West Bengal, elections only worsened the crisis, adding lakhs of people to the infection chain.

This is not the time to hoard or sell essentials in black — it is time to share and care.

This is not the time to panic — it is time to stay informed and act responsibly.

Final Words: Either Be Aware, or Suffer

We must open our eyes to the reality around us. Yes, the virus is dangerous — but so is our ignorance.

We don’t need 10 more speeches or news debates to understand what to do. We already know:

Wear a mask.
Sanitise regularly.
Avoid crowds.
Don’t spread false information.
Get vaccinated when eligible.
Help the ones in need.

We must move from blame to action, from division to unity, from politics to people.

In conclusion, let us remember: This is not just a test of our healthcare or governance. This is a test of our humanity. And the way we respond today will define our tomorrow.