By- Jr Amo
I have been closely following the Coronavirus outbreak, which is a pandemic now, and lately named as Covid-19 by the World Health Organisation.
Since the widely accepted outbreak of the Coronavirus in China’s Hubei province Wuhan city around around mid December till date, Covid-19 cases has surged to 598,000+ with 27, 370+ deaths, from different nations around the globe. And more than 133,390 people infected with the virus have recovered so far.
It has affected Africa, Asia, America, Europe & Oceania continents in large numbers. The magnitude of the danger posed by the the Covid-19 is underestimated by Political leaders around the world, and there is no cure or vaccination for persons infected with the virus and is easily transmitted person-to-person. Moreover, experts are saying, cure for this dreadful disease will hopefully be found only by next year -2021. Which means, the struggle is just about to begin.
The epicenter of Coronavirus – China claimed there are no more new local cases while imported cases are still on the rise. Meanwhile, to make matters worse, Spain & Italy has surpassed the death rate of China with a daily fatality rate nearing a thousand counts.
A country with one of the best health-care systems in the world – Italy is right now experiencing a hopeless situation. Hospitals overflowing with Covid-19 patients, roadside ICUs and the list goes on. Spain’s Madrid too is facing a crisis with patients skyrocketing, and inadequate medical equipments forcing doctors to find which patient would die sooner, to take care of the other who would have a better chance of survival, various reports claimed.
These things, I have mentioned above are taking place in right now in developed nations who have the best world class medical facilities.
India with a population of 132.42 crores, the majority of which live in the rural areas are still dependent primarily on agriculture and around 21 per cent of the total population still live below poverty line.
With the unbalanced health-care system and its exploding population, India is still lucky to be at stage 2 of the pandemic. Meanwhile, if India is only depending on the lockdown, this will only mean a slowdown in transmission and the later stages could turn out to be an explosion, like the case we have witnessed at first in China.
If the pandemic explodes and reaches stage 4 in India, I don’t really think this government will win the fight. Which will in turn lead to a great recession or famine, that will be unimaginable for all.
Okay! Cutting it short, Manipur with a population of around 27 lacs people have reported a confirmed Coronavirus case earlier this week. A 23 year old medical student from UK’s Bristol is currently undergoing treatment at JNIMS isolation ward and doctors believe her condition is stable. Thank God, and I wish her a speedy recovery, and pray that there will be no more Covid-19 cases in our state.
As Imphal is the state capital, the Chief Minister recently announced procurement of 20 ventilators – 10 each for JNIMS and RIMS respectively. Ventilators, in combating Covid-19 case is a very important medical equipment as patients infected with the Coronavirus experience respiratory problems, and their lungs cannot supply enough oxygen that their body needs. In any event, the government is ready only with 20 ventilators based on the CMs report. And to make the matter worse, the second largest and quickly developing district – Churachandpur, is right now without a single ventilator.
Very recently, I heard from one of the doctors with the district Covid-19 team, that no Personal Protection Equipments (PPE) are being supplied to the medical workers who are at the frontline of the fight to tackle, combat and contain the Virus, in case the need arises to save the lives of the common men. It is truly unfortunate that the concerned authorities & the administration couldn’t provide the required gear & equipment to the Health Care Professionals who are risking their lives for the people of the district.
Churachandpur district got less medical supplies, no ventilators, no PPE. Rather Doctors, Nurses and Health Care Professionals are told to provide protective gear for themselves!!!
If the outbreak unfortunately turns out uncontrollable in Manipur, than what measures does the government have for that next step. Are we all gonna die? Or are we just gonna stare at our families and dear ones choking and dying?
I feel the government must not waste this 21-day national lockdown, instead it should push forward and see what it can achieve during this period. Put up all its might and wisdom and be prepared to face any eventuality like our neighboring state of Assam.
I would also take this time and request my fellow denizens of the district to please follow the restriction measures put in place for the safety of all. I have asked my friends, brothers and sisters who are returning home from abroad or other parts of the country not to hide their travel history and report to the concernd authority. All of us must also restrain from discriminating of suspects, infected and their families as it could lead to a very dangerous situation where suspects or likely cases are ashamed and afraid to report themselves to the authority, which could lead to a cross-contamination that in turn could lead to a deadly situation for the whole district – an outbreak – say like the Patient 31 in South Korea. It can happen!
Finally, I urge the competent authority, please take this Covid-19 more seriously, as it is direct or indirectly a “Do or Die” situation that we are just starting to face and deal with.
I would also like to request everyone – community or tribe, to put aside political goals and differences, to work as one for the poor and the needy who are already facing the brunt of the problems caused by this Covid-19 pandemic.
At this challenging times, I humbly ask – ‘Where are our elected representatives? Are they watching us dying? We can’t just live only on rice like this!’. Of course distribution of rice was a very important thing. Meanwhile, essential commodity prices are rising unchecked. The scarcity a problem, the price and the virus, how are we going to win in this challenging situation?
Our medical workers need their protective gears too, common men and the people of this district want the authorities to act swiftly, we want disinfectants to be sprayed at our localities, our law enforcing agencies need their protective gears too. They aren’t robots or virus proof human beings, but they are guarding us with their lives. This virus is killing people, affecting the economy more than post the two wars that the world have witnessed.
Let us join hands and work together and save humanity or let us at least die trying. If not, God save our land.
Only time will tell – is Covid-19 a curse? With the death toll rising around the globe, it is by far a blessing in any form.
