Dr. Satwant Singh Rissam
In the year 2020, the onset of Covid-19 forced all of us to break with our present, past and think of the world and our lives in a new manner. Since then our daily life has turned upside down and a little example of it these days is of walking into a bank with a mask which was earlier seen with high suspicion and risk to bank security. All those who till now have survived this pandemic can truly find beginning of 2021 as a gateway to a new life. We all are confident by now that humanity after this pandemic won't ever return to the world that existed in and before 2020. I say so with confidence because of having faced this vulnerability to the human existence. I don't say that what we face next in shape of any disaster would be simple, it could be more extreme but I am sure that the world will look at it with more rational approach and try to emerge from that also with a strong resolve.
Our public healthcare system was tested by this pandemic and we all saw how low the entire healthcare system in the country went last year. Every segment of the healthcare was put into testing and was found fighting for its survival. Now people in the country have developed a first and foremost desire for overhaul of the public healthcare system. Basically need is to establish universal healthcare system with more inclusive approach for every citizen who is in need of emergency services. And this paramount step should be taken in a way that poverty doesn't become a hindrance for getting equivalent healthcare services.
The beginning of year 2021 registered landmark step forward in fighting Covid-19 on January 16 with start of vaccination drive across India. The race for Covid -19 vaccine was won all due to the tough efforts of scientists and researchers who fought against time to develop vaccine in a record time. The start of vaccination drive has also put to rest the ‘impotency' rumours surrounding this vaccine. Moreover, to add enthusiasm into this drive were the healthcare workers, doctors who got themselves vaccinated with the first shot at many vaccination camps in the country. We all wanted to see viral pictures of our politicians getting the first vaccine shots in country as that would have in true sense reduced fear and suspicion in general public. The experts fully support the fact that every vaccine has its side-effects, but with the dose of Covid-19 vaccine being just of 0.5 ml it has reduced significantly the risk of side-effects to a great extent.
First phase of vaccination could take three to six months to complete and it appears common healthy man may have to wait for some more months. So the responsibility still remains on us to maintain social distance and wear mask while the whole mystery surrounding this deadly virus gets decoded. With start of vaccination drive there appears a light at the end of the tunnel, but we are still in the middle of this tunnel. Infact even after having taken a huge initiative against the Covid-19 with indigenously developed vaccine, India continues to be under threat from the new U.K strain of Covid-19 and question remains to be answered whether we will see a spike again soon. This is now another challenge which may put us back and also make us do what we were doing few months back. After having seen this virus, deaths and disruption lets maintain positivity in this progressive ongoing fight against Covid -19.
The writer holds BSL, LLB, LLM, PGDHRM, Ph.D. He is a consistent contributor to the Northlines.
