Day: April 9, 2020

Crises test the mettle of a man like none other. How one handles pressure, stress, crisis defines him/her. Crisis management underscores the maturity levels in both individuals and nations. Covid-19 is the ultimate reality check for nations. For once, our list of priorities is subject to change. Material aspirations are going for a toss.

So much of gyaan over the Novel Coronavirus.

I can make a gist from what i have read so far in social media and I can add here a few of my own.

• The power center of the world has shifted from the US to China.
• China will not care whatever happens to the world. Neither will the chinese feel guilty. And they will do it again without remorse!
• The healthiest among us are the poorest who can survive against all odds.
• The wealthiest are the most vulnerable.
• The last two points apply for nations as well. Poorest nations are more resistant to the coronavirus over overtly sterile and wealthier first world nations.
• One cannot eat and drink oil and gas. Tight slap to the rich and arrogant Arabs. With not an ounce of any proficiency or sweat, their sense of entitlement to wealth and luxury is appalling. Twisted ideology. The Arab highhandedness directly fans bloody terrorism around the world. This is why it is important to quell the Arab dominance that is made possible only with oil and gas. How long can this status quo exist. Until the fossil fuel runs out within another 20-30 years maximum. Equations are bound to change forever after that, but then Covid 19 is like a teaser already for these badly scared middle eastern nations.
• Neither can one buy health with the greenbacks. Tight slap to the economically dominant and exploiting first world nations. World can do without your unimportant inventions and discoveries. Laidback lifestyle like in the present lockdown period is better.
• The volatility and vulnerability of the stock markets and banking institutions and the very basic medical infrastructure in most advanced nations implies that NONE IS INVINCIBLE. Everyone is replaceable. Everybody will be substituted. Collapse of entire health care system in a few European countries like Italy exposes the underbelly of their much touted economic model.
• Hopefully the warmongering nations have learned their lessons. If only you can make more of Hydroxychloroquine than F16s, world would have been a far better place to live in. Less war and more peace please. Today’s Islamic terrorism had a precedent in yesterday’s Christian wars of crusades. Today’s terrorists are doing nothing that Hitler did not do to Jews or America did not do to Japan.
• Advanced first world nations that boast of state of art medical research laboratories and five star medical institutions may still not have a supporting/matching system of emotionally tougher or balanced medical fraternity. That precocious gift is reserved for physicians who attend medical schools in third world countries where OPs alone may register at least 500-1000 patients in every single government medical college-hospital forenoon and afternoon. This is why Indian medicos are a global success story. You have to get down on your hands and knees to treat and cure patients if you are a good physician. You have to check the pulse to diagnose without machine help. This is human expertise that comes with practice alone. This is as important as inventing vaccines and new pharmaceutical formula in sophisticated labs in western countries.
• Government medical hospitals are our lifeline. A big lesson here even for India. I have written a lot about why I am principally against NEET for PG medical admissions. Why service quota is a must for PG seats/superspeciality admissions in our medical colleges. If Ambani and Adani are to take over our rural health care (which can one day happen), then that will see the collapse of India. Increased chance for this scenario when service quota is not favoured for PG medical admissions. Service based reservation for PG seats to atleast 50% is a must. Hopefully, the Indian government will stop following the American model in everything and do an analysis on this. PG seats to reserved category in far flung areas ensured that the medicos went back servicing to their hometowns in the past. One area where reservation has proved to be of maximum benefit to the society at large.
• Meat does not make one necessarily stronger. Immunity can from curry food and vegetarian cuisine loaded exotic spices and natural minerals and vitamins.
• Prevention is definitely better than cure. In case you miss the bus, still better late than never.
• Strong and able leadership can work wonders for a nation. India is fortunate to have Modi leading us at this time of crisis. Decisive leadership can make a huge difference and can impact on the destiny of a nation. War time or peace time, statesmanship can go a long way in nation building. In India’s case, whether it is dealing with Balakot or with China on Bhutan border or on removal of article 370 on Kashmir or now when it comes to handing the coronavirus crisis, we Indians are grateful that our PM Modi is in charge. I wouldn’t trust the nation in any other hands. Vote wisely.
• The poorest always have the biggest heart. Be it individuals or nations. India still helps its neighbourhood and poorest nations with free medical supplies. We bill only America and Europe! My maid, my autowallah, my temple priest – everyone I approached to help refused help. In fact, they in turn help others who they can.
• Being the big bro, comes with responsibilities. Respects for the way India took control and initiative with SAARC. Leadership in peacetime crisis demands more maturity and statesmanship and diplomacy in my half-baked opinion (!)
• Never be ashamed of learning from the experienced, even if it is your worst adversary. Never be ashamed to seek help if it is life saving. You have to live first to sustain your big ego.
• Civic administration and government departments are like the nervous systems of nations. In India, provisions and monetary help were distributed at lightening speed before the masses could get restless.
• Farmers are life givers like healthcare workers. How many farmer suicides does India record every year. Not a single farmer suicide must be allowed to happen in future. Without agriculture and our marginal and small farmers, where will we be. My heart bleeds at the senseless spate of farmer suicide that is taking a big toll in rural India.
• MNCs directly responsible for ruining rural India and Indian agriculture and even our health care system. No more privatization please. Our railways and national carriers and rural health facilities must belong with government.
• Healthcare workers and sanitation workers and farmers and our police force are the real life heroes who we ignore in everyday life. Sanitation workers do not even command dignity of labour in our mindset sadly.
• Filmy heroes are big ZEROES. So are the sports persons and other page 3 celebrities. None of these count in the times of crisis.
• Covid 19 is one great universal equalizer – we have to give it to virus.
• Medical insurance is necessary.
• Government medicare in India is by far the best. No waiting queue in India even for open heart surgery or kidney transplant or knee replacement and the costs are a fraction compared to that in America or Europe. Most Indians do not realize how gifted and better placed we are.
• Our wealth can dwindle in matter of minutes and we can do nothing about it. I saw my stucks crumble in matter of days. Nothing is safe that way. Bank deposits or stocks or gold or immovable assets … nothing matters when your very life is at stake. Liquidity is anyday the most prudent financial option. Cash is cash and no card or ATM can replace hard cash ever.
• Kirana stores are our lifeline again. Yeah, that corner shop in our street. I buy my daily needs there. I am now ordering online because my kirana store owner has finally downed his shutters and i am left with no supply.
• We can survive without fast foods. Burger and chips are what they are: trash. If eat it , then don’t blame your health care system.
• In India, there is a dire necessity to check the growth of the Biriyani joints. Unhealthy spread of nonvegetarian food habits in a predominantly vegetarian nation.
• Homefood can be nutritional and tasty at the same time. Homefood grows on you. You have to habituate yourself with homefood and once you get addicted, you can’t ever appreciate restaurant food. I have restaurant food not because I love it but because I want to take a break from my kitchen sometimes. There is simply no comparison between homefood and restaurant food.
• What is this processed food. We in India do not have that much. We cannot live from packet to packet. I don’t even buy ginger-garlic paste. Everytime I grind it fresh for instance. Forced to buy packed groceries now because of demand situation and unavailability of certain groceries. Only until the lockdown period.
• Most of us can work from home.
• Women transform homes into heavens. Family is family. No replacement or substitute for that. Sometimes now in the lockdown I am reminded of the sweet old ’80s when we had no computer or terrorism or even satellite tv.
• Wildlife is on freerun. After all, we humankind have been the virus all along! Heartening to listen to bird chirps and watch in the media, clippings of wildlife straying into thoroughfare emptied of human presence. How long can this tranquility last. Let our wildlife enjoy this brief respite to their hilt.
• Nature has a way of restoring balance always. Please let some of us stop reproducing like rats and rabbits, consuming more of the natural resources in the process. A family with 2 kids has the same and equal rights to resources as a family with a dozen kids. 10 buckets of water for instance for both families for a day. Rationing must be on this principle.
• Sky is clearer and brighter. No polluting vehicular smoke. Pin drop silence.