India’s disaster in managing the Covid and the resultant human suffering is a brutal lesson in reality checking. India not only looks unprepared but downright incompetent. For a country that has always claimed to be the best run in South Asia, it’s scary to see how hard one may fall and how bad South Asia’s state management level is.
Entire South Asia was fine till the new variants struck. On looking back, it’s obvious that the reason why the situation wasn’t grim was because of the nature of the virus rather than public health management. It’s sad to see the scenes that are circulating globally on Covid in India.
What is alarming for the rest of South Asia is that the virus that is ravaging India comes with an arrival date and Bangladesh may well be facing the crisis soon. However, till date, we are not looking like we are not doing anything special though border lockdowns have been announced and promises to get tough on mask wearing has been announced. It still looks too little.
Any review of the situation will show that both the public and the people are seriously deficient in managing life at the formal and informal level. And the two forces together have created a welcoming situation for the Indian variant to arrive and thrive. If it doesn’t, that will not be because we did something but because nature was once again kind to us. But India was not spared by nature and its best to remember that in Bangladesh.
The health sector in Bangladesh has done much but not done enough to justify public confidence. The authorities’ will have to accept that large scale corruption is a key efficiency problem which not only remains unaddressed but the lack of intent in addressing it is worrying. And that is an issue of concern. There is nothing which shows they are ready to tackle the health needs of a crisis population.
Private sector health delivery issues are now so ill reputed that they are considered a source of money making without providing services by most people. Reality is different but not too much. Regulatory authorities are dysfunctional and don’t matter so to expect much in terms of coping when the Indian variant arrives is not realistic.
Public behavior is another area of concern best exemplified by the reluctance to wear masks. It’s been impossible for the authorities to have any impact due to lack of intent and action aided by lack of interest in following basic health rules. Just as the Indian public have fallen victims to their own ignorance, lack of concern and over dependence on faith as a delivery agent out of trouble, so we seem to be.
One wished there could be cause for optimism but there is none. Panic won’t help matters either. But India’s health crisis shows that talk about development and democratic achievements should be tempered by acknowledgement of failures and weaknesses and then planning for amore functional future.
