They say you can’t feel someone else’s pain until you face it yourself or when your dear ones go through the suffering. The fear that one sees in the eyes of hospital visitors who had to give consent to keep their loved ones on ventilator support is not something that can be expressed in words. The hopelessness in their voices after not being able to arrange beds, medicines or oxygen for their dying family members tears away any confidence. The pain that patients go through, gasping for breath between episodes of loss of consciousness, isn’t something anyone else can possibly imagine. The fear of death would shatter anyone’s motivation. They may not even see the ones they love for one last time before they have to leave on their one-way journey.

Healthcare workers will be trying to save one more life while going through all these emotional waves themselves. Sometimes, they can’t even attend the funerals of the ones they love. With swollen eyes, they will be carrying out their assignments because the hospitals are having a staff shortage, and the friends who can cover their shift are also sick. They might not have eaten or slept properly for a few nights, but they will still be trying to help you out, hopeless and helpless as you may be. The financial burden definitely won’t go away with the ones who left on their eternal journey. The family, society and the world would be struggling to fight back and get back on track. Post-traumatic stress disorder would be haunting them for months and years to come.

Lessons of the past

You and I both can avoid this, if we are committed. We can save the world by saving ourselves. Let’s use the lessons of the past to make a better future. There are a lot of things we can do individually as well as collectively. The key is to be adaptive to the new normal lifestyle. Rather than saying it’s just the flu, getting isolated in time may save a life. Proper use of personal protective equipment (PPE) while taking care of the sick at home may prevent a lot of pain later. Not going amidst crowds or holding back the urge to shop could be a more responsible approach for society. Family functions can wait, weddings can be attended virtually as well. The blessings and love won’t be any less. If we live another year, birthdays or festivals can be celebrated next year as well.

The fire that engulfs our neighbour’s house can spread to our house anytime. Showing a little love, concern and respect for those who are suffering could be someone’s strength to overcome the fear and painful time they are going through. The selfish approach of refusing to vacate a hospital bed by those who can be treated at home had hampered the treatment of those who needed serious interventions in the past. Having a little bit of empathy could give life to someone. We can only be safe if all of us are safe together.

The centralised and inaccessible health system of our country definitely needs a complete makeover in the long run. Our past experience shows us how the capital city was overwhelmed while other major cities struggled even to provide the basics. The villages had to suffer in silence. Many were sick and some even died without being treated or even being tested. Decentralisation of the healthcare system is an absolute need. The poor becoming poorer just by paying for the healthcare needs of the family is a tragic reality of our society. Compulsory health insurance for all, instead of out-of-pocket payment could be the one solution to make healthcare accessible to all.

We now know the difference between the effects of the virus on vaccinated and non-vaccinated individuals. Getting vaccinated as early as possible could be an act of saving ourselves and our dear ones. This pandemic taught us that the whole globe needs to be on the same page to fight back. Vaccinating only the citizens of one’s country may not be a solution. If all citizens of the world are vaccinated, only then can we imagine a progressive tomorrow. For a country like ours where vaccination is only possible through someone else’s donation or favour, we need to learn the lesson of being self-sufficient.

Praiseworthy effort

We must be really blessed that we came through the crisis when we couldn’t even manufacture surgical masks by ourselves. Many hospitals started making PPE out of raincoat material. Even hand sanitisers were made in the hospital when the market went out of stock. Providing N-95 masks to caregivers was a challenge in itself. Not only caregivers, but the back-end staff too had spent sleepless nights at the hospital trying to arrange oxygen and other necessities to keep the hospital running. Everyone’s effort is worth praise.

The first thing that we can do is let us just close the door to the third wave. Even if it arrives at our doorstep, let us win the battle together by using the lessons from our past. Let’s open our door to brotherhood, love and harmony instead of fear, blame and regrets. The past showed us the uncertainty of the future. We do not know whether we will be opening our eyes tomorrow morning or not. Moreover, if our loved ones also wake up with us, it’s a blessing. Let’s love and live in today. Let’s spread love, peace and harmony within and outside ourselves. This world is a great place to live in, so let’s make it better for everyone around us.