Dr Rahul Gupta
Being a human and then a doctor brings an added responsibility on us towards greater humanity. But then in life circumstances arise were in one has to sit back and rethink. With the pace of life, I, personally was going through and many others would be also, we would not have thought in our wildest of dreams that God (whatever u may call him) had a reset button for all of us. That we would be made to sit under the lockdown which no one dare to breach.
Yes, I did enjoy the initial few days then I realized for the good that it’s going too far. The question that comes to our minds is that do we really need to run away from # COVID 19 or do we need to confront it in short what’s the value of the lockdown.
My personal opinion is that we will have to take a middle path in this scenario which is to take care of ourselves and our dear ones. But what is pricking my conscience is my patients. What and how are they managing themselves in these tough times. No one seems to be concerned, may be that’s human – being selfish.
Need of the hour is to start the routine work though the definition of routine will Change. Question is to make protocols and stick to them – but who will make them as the scenarios at different places is quite different, infrastructure is different, socioeconomic status is different, hygiene levels are different. Then how can one size fit all. Governments and people at the helm of affairs need to understand that. In my view it would be more reasonable to leave it to the individual setups/doctors as they and only know their needs and problems the best and the system should support them.
The reason I talk like that is because this pandemic is swift and the only hope is the medication and vaccines — which still are an enigma.
Yes, the cost of treatment will go up and bound to be as who will pay for the added protection. My view is that Government should chip in. How they want to do is their prerogative. My suggestion is that they should ensure the price of such equipment be available at a reasonable cost and at the same time not to compromise with the quality. The fact that now the Government has the infrastructure in place like Jan Aushudhi counters and Amrut outlets in all major Government institutes, it should ensure quality protective gear at a reasonable cost. Quality should not be decided by the government officials as we all know what happens.
We all know how tendering takes place and how things come and what better example than this pandemic for self-reflection for the system. Best way to ensure quality of the protective gear is to involve the technocrats from the private reputed firms other wise it will be a pure nonstarter as poor-quality protective gear will do more harm than help.
So, to concise my views are we have waited long enough and sort of understood regarding the spread of #Covid 19. Yes, we have created a descent infrastructure to take care of the load with the effort of the all.
Now we should start the work with specific guidelines ensuring the safety of the patients and the staff at work. By no means the safety of the staff and the doctors be compromised. Adequate changes whatsoever required should be facilitated by the Government in consultation with the specialists on ground so that no one suffers.
“Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness” –Desmond Tutu.
(The author is Associate Professor
Urology Deptt. GMC Jammu)
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