Thousands of cases a day, and each day the count mounts. 60 deaths a day, and a fear of more deaths lurking. One could never have thought of a horrible situation like this seizing us. The enormity of the crisis is such that it has brought the very idea of a normal life to a complete halt. The way infection is spreading, hitting families together, it is even difficult to comprehend what is happening. There is a numbness that has taken us over. We seem to be helplessly watching our plight in this rising spread of the pandemic. What went wrong, and where we committed mistakes has been talked about enough. And that is an area of concern we need to focus on. But this is also time to generate some hope. Because the biggest threat to life, individual or collective, is hopelessness. Howsoever big a challenge, there is always a way to meet it. Howsoever big an impediment, there is a way to surmount it. The way we are passing through this mega-crisis, there is need to hold the nerve, and generate a belief that we can fight back. But the way to fight back is not a wishful thinking, or a delusional denial, but a wilful, rational preparation to contain the spread, and enhance the health services. We have to work on both the fronts. Ensure that the means of the spread of this infection are curtailed, so that we have less number of cases. At the same time focus on enhancing the healthcare facilities so that we can manage a bigger number of cases, and reduce fatalities. If we can can enhance the rate of recovery, and reduce the number of fatalities, that will in itself give confidence to people. It is not the disease but death that terrifies. In this ongoing surge, many lives could have been saved if only our healthcare system was more efficient. A two pronged policy of breaking the chain, and treating the infected well, can help tide over the crisis. In this unprecedented situation people need to take extra caution, and the government needs to put unusual effort in upgrading the facilities.
It is a never seen before situation
