And for a Friday saddened by the bereavement of former colleagues and friends, my heart goes out to the families. Some thoughts….. some hopes…..
The second wave has hit so hard and strong across the country, there have been more fatalities as Hospital Infrastructure, particularly Medical Oxygen could not be made available. Mumbai , Delhi and Bangalore peaked in succession. Thanks to the innovative and entrepreneurial leadership of Mumbai Municipal Commissioner Iqbal Chahal, Mumbai has not only controlled the disaster to manageable levels, but now has developed a good workable Model for other cities and towns to follow. My friend Azim Premji very aptly surmised action plan – 1) Act on all fronts with greater speed based only on Science, 2) country come together as “ONE” to overcome the crisis and 3) the poor and dispossessed must get the priority they deserve.
Each one of us has to take all precautions. The second wave has been nasty. Vaccination is of course the main defense, but I urge all to have patience. Let us honour the priority. Doctors and Medical staff, front line workers, senior citizens 60+ and 45+ with comorbidities. Let the May / June vaccine stocks be used to fully cover these groups. By July the supply will increase exponentially. Also a number of newer vaccines will also enter the market, administered by the Private sector at cost. This crisis will also pass.
Lockdowns make life harder, particularly the class of people serving us – maids, drivers, support staff and daily wage earners. Let’s ensure food and maximum help to each of these known families till normalcy is restored. Let’s support each other, the caring way, the empathy way, the SEEGOS way.