Shaking Healthcare Foundation
Byline By- Ritika Bhatia
The pandemic is testing our strength, immunity our characteristic strength too. It is also testing all the industries that run India’s economy, if they can survive through this or not. The thing that Covid-19 is testing the most is the healthcare system around the globe.
It is revealing the problems, administrative weaknesses, and infrastructure hindrances like falling dominoes. Lack of hospitals, beds, oxygen, concentrators, and ventilators are resulting in falling trust of people on the healthcare system. It feels like the theory of Charles Darwin, Survival of the fittest is coming to play. The Pillars of the healthcare are shaking along with the oral of doctors and healthcare workers.
Statistically India today requires atleast 2.5 lakh more nurses and 1.5 lakh more doctors to fill up the requirements at most within a week. If the requirements are not fulfilled now the hole that has been created by this situation will dig deeper and another crisis will entrap us all.
The 2nd wave of corona virus is testing and expanding our limits, stretching us as like a rubber but the time frame till that metaphorical rubber stretches there should be fixing of the stretch until the rubber breaks and clearly speaking till the system breaks.
The manpower is lacking the frontline healthcare management system is losing hope and moral because of the negative impact that has been created by Indian media. Informing the failure to save lives won’t save lives, people need to understand that it will only decrease the moral of our doctors our healthcare workers to contribute their 100 percent in saving lives.
There should be atleast one doctor for every thousand patients according to WHO and looking at India’s government hospitals the ratio is 1:11000+. Dr Devi Prasad Shetty few days ago clearly stated that the problem of infrastructure can always be solved by using the industrial oxygen and the immediate problem can be solved but what about the long term solution where the real problem subsides.
The number of affordable education institutions, administrative speed in decision making, more spending on healthcare infrastructure. These arrangements if not thought for the long term would always lead to bigger problems and can lead to collapse of healthcare system too.
The third wave of corona virus is inevitable AIIMS director says because our government only spends 1.2 percent of the GDP in health infrastructure.
How can we as citizen contribute to be a part of the solution?
WE should understand that the doctors are already overburdened and rather sharing fake news we should always verify. Do not penalize the doctors if the situation was so unavoidable; be empathetic enough to realize their complications too. Support them through social media create positive energy around them. Make them conclude that we are with them so that they are motivated to be at working saving lives. Raise voice if you see any malpractices concerning healthcare immediately.
Follow all the government guidelines, protocols, take precautions, and stay at home.
This is the best we can do!