When the first headlines started appearing about the outbreak of a ‘novel coronavirus’ in the Chinese city of Wuhan two years ago, what was happening appeared a world away to Indians and Indian policymakers.
A year later, a similar crisis caught us by surprise when the Delta variant took shape somewhere in the country and spread all over completely under the radar of our scientific monitoring systems, resulting in the second wave.
Now, the third chance is upon us.
Unlike the first time, we no longer are under any illusions about what an uncontrolled spread can do to us, nor are we — like the second time — lacking in advance warning.
But the prognosis for India this time is hardly better.
Despite knowing fully well what is in store for us — thanks to two years of extensive medical and empirical data — and armed with better tools than ever before, we today find ourselves in a greater confusion than at any time since this pandemic started.
On the one hand, the experience of the second wave has taught us that letting the virus run free leads to massive casualties and bodies floating down rivers, but bitter experience has also taught us that we simply do not have the economic stamina to undergo another round of lockdowns.
So, what should India do, as Omicron, the latest avatar of a virus that has brought the world to its knees, shows up at our gates uninvited?
THE IMPOSSIBILITY OF LOCKDOWNS
Experts believe that the strategy of trying to contain and exterminate the virus has failed, and now advocate a policy of trying to manage its spread rather than arrest it completely.
This story is from the December 2021 edition of Future Medicine India.
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This story is from the December 2021 edition of Future Medicine India.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
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The ‘green colour’ linen is synonymous with hospitals, as it has been in use for centuries in hospitals world over, especially the conventional healthcare settings. But how many, even in the medical community, are really conscious about the responsibility for and the critical role of this piece of medical accessory in ensuring patient safety? Evidence from most hospitals in India indicates that not many are aware of the standards, and even if they are, not many bother with them. Again, going by real world experience, there exists another paradox. Though the actual cost of the repeated use of the linen is higher than the cost of single-use disposables (recommended in modernday care), it is still being used in a large majority of hospitals and clinics in India — because it is the convention. Therefore, transformation hesitance is more of a mindset issue rather than ignorance or economics. Most in the industry also oppose quality regulations in the country. In a market where hundreds of textile weavers and cloth merchants turned medical mask and accessory manufacturers overnight during the Covid pandemic, the market situation serves the unscrupulous minds who only eye the profits. However, there are a handful of local companies, besides the large organised players, who stick to quality products in this predominently price conscious market due to internal SOPs or pure commitment. For JAMES GEORGE, Founder and Managing Director at Kochi-based Careon Healthcare Solutions, it is more of a personal commitment. In a freewheeling interview with Editor CH UNNIKRISHNAN, George says that the primary reason behind the rise of unscrupulous players in the medical disposables market is lack of awareness among the users and the patients. Edited excerpts:
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