Reflections On COVID-19

Shahzad Hussain
A pathogen called COVID-19 has its epicentre in Wuhan city of China and didn’t take much time to turn into pandemic due to excessive globalisation in the modern times. It is the reminder for the mankind to shun all it’s ego by observing and experiencing how a small pathogen has brought every thing to a standstill . It had made us to see how the developed societies of the world having mastery over sciences and world class health sector were begging the mercy from the heavens . We are operating in a brave new world where modern governance has met an old fashioned and invisible enemy .There are three narratives which are very often discussed all over the world regarding the origin of COVID-19.
1- US President Donald Trump claims that inorder to weaken the economy of rest of the powerful countries , China has deliberately made it and he tagged it as the Chinese virus .
2. Military drills were conducted in October – November 2019 in China of which America was a part and host country alleges the spread of the same by the USA .
3- As of now medical research shows that it has a natural origin and can’t be man made. Time will reveal the truth.
The present crisis is a reminder of our neglect of the sustaining emotional bond of family and friends.
Globally we have seen how the ex super power ‘ USA’ has resorted to pandemic politics by halting her funding to the World Health Organisation ( WHO). World leadership is seen in a state of regret as they were unable to resolve the different conflicts in different corners of the world due to which the parties to the conflict have been spending a huge chunk of their GDP on military and arms industry and simultaneously ignoring their public health institutions. Work is going on in the major medical research institutions across the world to find its treatment . So social distancing is seen as a way to reduce the spread of the disease until health system are able to cope with it and a vaccine is developed. As for as India is concerned, she was caught by COVID-19 unprepared which has brought the lack of farsightedness of its leadership to forth . In many of the cases they compare things with Pakistan and if they find India ahead and then they take the sigh of relief. In these harsh times we have seen things either withering away or in a state of rest except communalization in India. How a particular community is being stigmatised and there is no statement of condemnation from those wielding power. It is pity to say that on the one hand the entire world is engaged in finding a way out from this pandemic and on the other hand Indian government is busy in leaving no stone unturned to dis-empower and demoralise the youth of Kashmir by bringing the domicile law . The major challenge for Indian government is to strike a balance between public health needs and the requirement to keep the wheels of economy rolling. There is a lackadaisical approach on the Government’s part vis a vis the daily wage workers. India has provided just dismal financial allocations for public health and medical research. The inadequate health service delivery systems signal a failure of sensitivity to the human condition. For years, India’s health expenditure as a percentage of GDP has been abysmal at about 1%. As per the National Health Profile, 2019, collated by the Central Bureau of Health Intelligence unit of the Directorate General of Health Services, there has been no significant change in health-care expenditure since 2009-2010. The highest it has been in the decade is 1.28 % of the GDP, and hit the nadir at 0.98 % in 2014-2015. The report does record that per capita public expenditure on health in nominal terms went up from ₹621 in 2009-10 to ₹1,112 in 2015-16. In terms of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) the government spends on healthcare is 1.6 percent in FY20 budget estimate a small rise from 1.5 percent in FY19. National Health Profile data, released in 2019 , says cost of treatment has been on the rise in India, which has led to inequity in access to healthcare. I think The post-Covid era will witness the movement across India in which people would assert the guarantee of Right to livelihood and the Right to accessible health. Let me now turn your attention to the UT of J&K where in certain cases we have seen essential commodities being sold to needy customers on higher prices than the market price and hoarding & the concerned authorities are not swinging into action . This lock down period is considered by many of the individuals dealing with unlawful businesses like drugs and poppy straw as an opportunity to carry out their work. One can also see how the Conservative mindset in some sections of our society became an impediment for them to offer/ Say prayers at home and they went to mosques .To conclude I would say the present crisis is a reminder of our neglect of the sustaining emotional bond of family and friends .We need to inculcate a habit of approaching the things with the positive mindset and optimistic perspective.
(Author is a student at Department of Politics and Governance, Central University of Kashmir. Views are his own)
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