By Muneer Shamee
The coronavirus outbreak has brought the world to a standstill. With business around the world shutting shop, the economy taking a severe hit and most countries being in lockdown. However, in this pandemic, the medical community including doctors, nurses, the medicine staff, farmers and the security forces are the warriors who are fighting this disease on the frontline and putting their lives at risk to keep us safe. In the middle of the hierarchy, senior- resident doctors, registrars, assistants and associates are equally sharing the responsibilities. They keep track of World Health Organization (WHO) or Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) or Indian Ministry guidelines for management of COVID-19.
Now in the midst of a pandemic, the Bhagavad Gita is more relevant than ever – the health care worker is Arjuna, hospitals are battlegrounds for war against the virus, the healthcare workers being guided by ‘dharma’ and to do what is right and not become paralysed by the outcome. They are always on their toes, donning and doffing suffocating Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), managing aerosol generating procedures like intubation, suctioning, extubation, cardio pulmonary resuscitation etc. Many working lactating mothers are stressed and take extra precautions before coming in close contact or breast feeding their baby. Frontline warriors are not only facing a daunting task of handling and treating patients but are also struggling to keep their own worries and emotional stress at bay. Some landlords have asked them to vacate their homes due to the irrational fear of getting infected. Erratic work schedule, night shifts and long hours in operation, chronic fatigue, moodiness, trouble concentrating fatigue, sleep deprivation, excessive worry, aggressive behaviour, loss of appetite behavioral changes and poor work are signs of stress.
Despite odd and amid crisis farmers deliver produce. Yet they haven’t produced the severe food deprivation, soaring prices and hoarding that defined the previous great calamities. Even with all the supply chain disruption, there aren’t too many cases of food not being available in markets or at ration shops, community kitchnes and relief camps. People may be hungry but not starving. The credit for this not goes partly to the government food grain procurement and distribution system. But also to the unsung heroes without whom all this grain now being distributed or cooked in food camps wouldn’t have been produced at all. From an anti-producer inflation targeting policy and the demonetisation induced crash in crop realisation. Each time they have risen like Phoenix from the ashes.
The police, the most vulnerable community after the medical fraternity are working in adverse conditions. Across the nation, the role of security forces are not less important. They are not only deployed on the ground but also in containment zones and hotspots, bus stops and hospitals. In order to raise the spirits of citizens stuck in their homes and deliver a message of hope, forces in kolkata and other part of the India have been using famous songs to spread awarness among the public.
Managing mental health and well being this time is as important as managing physical health. Work hard but allow time for recovery. The Union Cabinet approved the promulgation of the Ordinance to make amendments in the Epidemic Diseases Act 1987 to make act of violence against healthcare workers cognizable and non- bailable offences . It also provides compensation for injury to healthcare workers for damage or loss incurred to their property during this pandemic. Farmers don’t need our thalis and taalis (beating of plates or clapping of hands). They have filled out stomach even in this hour of crisis. In these odd times, the role of police personnel remains at forefront of not only implementation of the law but also social welfare and social defence. The nation owes a debt of gratitude to its frontline warriors.
(Muneer Shamee can be reached at muneer.udl@gmail.com)
