Covid-19 has to be fought with and brought down as there is no other alternative left for us to survive other than combatting and suppressing it. It is an unseen virus that commonly lived in the world for thousands of years with variants springing up when man becomes weak due to various reasons losing the power of resistance.
‘’Ayurveda’’ attempts to increase the inbuilt resistance of the human body, and the western medicine method depends on scientific exploration and treatments in hospitals, despite shortages of oxygen, ICU beds and other even more basic facilities due to congestion.
We have now reached the highest numbers of detections of Covid-19 and deaths appear to be overpowering all the efforts with lack of the ICU beds, and the efforts of health personnel working round the clock countrywide and worldwide are to be fondly appreciated.
Sadly, we are not alone when USA is in the lead, India fast following her with increase of deaths and infections at a tremendous rate. It is not the time for the blame game as to who was responsible and what they have omitted, missed, or neglected, but remember we controlled it so well before but did not keep a track of the success then showing our competence and also ignorance. We were overwhelmed with the success before and did not maintain it.The Indian situations are lessons to us to be careful.
An opposition member of Parliament says he will annihilate the menace if he is given three months, and the Minister of Health says it will take three and a half years for complete eradication of the virus and WHO says it cannot give a time frame and we have left it to fate, our determination and hard work with good practices.
Smallpox that caused 500 million deaths took a decade to be completely annihilated and it is left to the virus taking its own time as ample facilities and opportunity is given to it to prosper and it is left for us to get rid of the menace completely with our tact and strategy.
We won the Malaria debacle successfully. Without doing anything constructive or contributing to the campaign the ordinary man health worker and the security forces have undertaken, the UNP Leader says that in the near future the death toll would be 100 per day when the JVP leader keeps on pounding on the Army Commander and the health workers performing an excellent work within the limited resources and the leader of ‘’Jana Bala Wegaya’’ with his clan and the rest are busy in giving voice cuts at a tremendous rate.
200 bodies dumped in river
Yesterday, there was the sad news that 200 bodies have been dumped to the River Ganga- the most historical sacred river in India with no capacity to dispose of them, and we can imagine the situation on the ground, on the roads and nearby hospitals. We are sad for our immediate neighbour and fear that we may face a similar plight and it is ourselves and our behaviour that will protect us. Ample advice and directions have been given on Covid-19 to us, though we did not follow and abided by them, the situation that has accelerated the fast spread of the dangerous pandemic to reach the unfortunate situation it has reached today.
The most recent guidelines in the Gazette is exhaustive with details and it is the duty of all to follow it to the last word and it is a good idea to paste a printout to be read by all in a common area as it is so easy and important to follow with little bit more stricter guidelines. Experiences in the other parts of the world have proved that the vaccines have worked despite different opinions by some experts. The death toll in the UK was in thousands before, but the vaccination programs and application of guidelines have brought it to almost zero. UK citizens did not follow the guidelines fully and learnt it the hard way.
Israel, being a country with innovators and scientists, is under strict control with stringent rules and vaccinations and the Israelites are following guidelines to the last word. What is happening in India baffles us with the undisciplined nature of behaviour attending crowded funerals, functions and religious ceremonies, and ignoring the easily followed guidelines have converted the entire country into a living cemetery which worries us and the whole world. Rich people in India are running away leaving the country when the government has miserably failed to control and contain the pandemic with no solution in sight, despite the excellent foreign relations and large circle of friends’ world over.
The USA, the richest country in the world, the world power and the world policeman has knelt before the feared and dangerous pandemic dragon speedily spreading tentacles the world over. What worries us is that why cannot we understand the so simple logic to prevent the danger by following simple steps in practice. Wearing the mask is simple and not expensive and now requirement has increased to two which is not bad. Distance is increased to six feet and one may keep a longer distance. Washing well and long is imperative and facilities now have been provided everywhere, with products for hand washing which everybody should carry to be used after every movement.
You are your own saviour
Avoiding crowded places and even your relations, friends and cleaning yourselves for 15 minutes carefully afterwards after being exposed to the environment is imperativeand easy to practice and mind you – you are the saviour of yourself and loved ones as Buddha preached ‘Attahae Attano Nato Kohi Nato Parasiva’ Obviously no one else but you and your behaviour only will protect you. It is also good to practices mindfulness of mind which gives you confidence and clear thinking. The other practice is protecting yourself. By being protective you are saving yourself, your loved ones and the entire world. Any vaccine would do and PCR tests are important as a warning and a precautionary measure.
Today, in Sri Lanka too, hospitals are full and patients are on corridors, which is not a pleasant story to hear and a topic for criticism. We are sad and worried on the behaviours of the leaders of the Opposition and professional organisations including NGOs are inactive when, by now, they should be on the road with the media helping their loved ones and others. The sorry state is they enjoy this situation and become actors giving voice cuts, advising and criticising those who are at work. We do not approve and condone the inactivity and inability of the governance! But, mind you, this is not the time to change governments! What they would do in time to come is up to themselves.
An excellent job
Please admire the Army Commander - a ‘’Lonely Parrot’’ and of course not the best man for the job but he is doing an excellent job with the backing of the army and other forces. He carries out orders and is doing it beautifully. The Army Commander is not a visionary, innovator or initiator for the country and it is time for the leader to take direct charge. It should have been better to have a committee of experts and scientists and a top media group who will speak with one word to avoid poor communications, and give some responsibilities to the State Minister Dr. Sudrashanee Fernandopulle and Dr Sudath Samaraweera who speak some sense and bring back Dr. Anil Jasinghe back on stage are only our proposals as outsiders. We are pleased of 25,000-50,000 beds being built, although constructing beds alone will not be a solution but shows that the danger is felt. But it is better to be ready with beds for the patients expected rather than leaving them on the floor like India and getting ready for any eventuality is a good idea.
Going back to basics and going simple is ideal in these difficult days in daily life, controlling food, being local, starting to grow some food in the garden or in pots inside as the situation in the long term does not seem to be satisfactory. Beds are constructed with the help of the Army and others when the Opposition is looking for voice cuts, and meetings to show off to people talking shop, not serving the people. Their actions reminds of the services by real left leaders (NM. Colvin, SA and Lesley) in the aftermath of war and the Malaria Epidemic that killed 500 million world over.The UK and Israel almost won the war because they listened to experts and they had proper experts and advisors.In Sri Lanka politicians took the lead with a bunch of half baked ‘’Voice Cutters’’. 500 million died of small pox but we got over it and we are optimistic of winning the Covid-19 war sooner or later.
It is sad we as Ambassadors and professionals were not used so far in the battle to save the nation, but never too late, the fight goes on and we have to fight it bit longer than expected and our services are guaranteed in need, regarding the inactivity of the foreign officials. Please compare their performances with India and other countries and notice that all what we should do is merely abide by the law and guidelines to the last word. The virus whose origins are yet to be found with assumptions that it originated in an area called Wuhanin China has now spread worldwide among the rich, the poor, the powerful and the weak killing human beings like flies. Rich and powerful too are hit as in the case of countries such as the USA, EU, Brazil, and India, a power house in the Asian subcontinent, aspiring to be the leader competing with China, another aspirant in the world economic stage.
What is permanent is impermanence
The Covid-19 pandemic has taught the lesson that ‘’what is permanent in the world is impermanence’’ and power is temporary and limited - lessons to those who have absolute power. TV images in India are sad and we cry for them, crying and wondering about helplessly and aimlessly. There is little or nothing that we can do to help when we are also threatened. Salutary information is that the UK and Israel has established some control due to hard, and scientific work by the governance with the strength of the funds available and the ability to clamp down to a certain level. In the UK the death toll have was minimised and stringent rules are relaxed followed by Israel which is good news to us of possibilities of fighting the Covid-19 pandemic successfully which appears to be a complex and arduous exercise.
News in India is that the pandemic is out of control with the highest death toll. News in Sri Lanka is on the shortages of oxygen, beds, vaccines, and hospital and other facilities. What have we learnt on the pandemic within this short period to prevent or eradicate the menace altogether taking so much deaths giving so much misery to the loved ones of the dead? It is presumed to be simple. Follow the health guidelines to the last word in wearing the double mask now, keeping the distance of two meters, prevent close associations and public gatherings, maintain cleanliness by frequently washing hands and using sanitisers often and being aware ofclose association with potential carriers however close and friendly they are to you.
World in a confused state
Everybody worldwide is a part of the muddle connected to each other personally and nationally. It has come to a stage that there is nobody to believe as there are no credible information on the reliability, efficiency and creditability of the WHO and performances the world is depending on. There is no monitoring information centre or an action group international or set up locally to collect and harness information and share it with the world and it is well known the UN agencies are always inefficient.
This trend has spread worldwide including in Sri Lanka where there is no central unit for information collection, distribution and the monitoring process. Sri Lankan news is so muddled and complicated people tend not to believe things being unclear and complicated. The specialists should speak with one word and should be transmitted from a centre. Only few in Sri Lanka speaks sense with facts clearly to the people when others speak to voice cuts for publicity and enjoyment.
Today we are in a crisis for our own making due to misbehaving in the past despite strong warnings and medical advice which our community overlooked and today all are reaping the harvest full of patients and would be patients awaiting for tests, beds, and vaccinations in main infested areas spreading the virus to others freely. We are not alone in the crisis as India is facing the highest crisis situation full of hospitals, patients on the road, dead bodies floating on rivers and everything burdened overcapacity with bodies burning on the road with loved ones crying nearby. It is a pity we did not follow the basic rules given by the health sector which were so easy to follow which is still applicable to follow. Day by day new rules and requirements are implemented, such as restrictions on movements between districts, and more strict requirements on social and public gatherings.
Where is the opposition?
There appears to be no coordination among government agencies and private establishments in the pandemic crisis. It is a pity that the charitable organisations and professional organisers are inactive and inert.
The Opposition wants an all party conference to discuss the issue with no contribution of any assistance to the people in despair. Where are the UN related organisations demanding for human rights and organisations set up for various projects backed by funds? The JVP is a talking shop with no assistance to the people in any way. It is time for Geneva to sideline the Geneva Process and concentrate on Covid-19 which is the main danger over so called human rights they were agitating about in the limelight in the international arena which is temporary before the COVID-19 threat.
Language Sri Lankans understand
Now it seems everybody is in a panic and new rules and regulations are emerging which should have been implemented long ago. The regulations are excellent in the words Sri Lankans understand and the most important requirement is to implement this to the last word without listening to any politician or people assuming power and importance. Rules show how easy it is to abide by and the real victory in nearer with us to be within the law and rules, and nothing more.
Horse has bolted
When stringent rules are in place, the citizen approves and agrees to abide by in the interest of the rest, however difficult the implementation is being in the interest of all. It is not of use finding fault not implementing the rules before for good reasons and to be extra careful. Now that we have learnt a lesson and witnessed sufferings of others including the Indian citizens that we witness on TV with a sad face and full of sympathy towards them, we should resolve to abide by the basics given in the regulations in details as precautionary measures.
We should have been scientific rather than political and traditional to depend on ‘Dhammika Pani’’ and astrology. At least now we as ambassadors urge the President to take the reins of battling the Covid-19 as the last straw and work with top experts on science and genuine advisors considering the current advisors and newly formed groups have not delivered goods. Roadway is clear and service oriented committed personnel are ample. Selections so far has not proved correct in many areas. Ambassadors are not up to standard. Policies are stalled. Vision is to be rethought as visionaries in Israel, UAE, Singapore, and Malaysia did in the Sri Lankan way with Sri Lanka friendly policies.
Way forward
Covid-19 which is an unknown and unseen enemy will have to be fought and won by any means. We must study the behaviour of the virus to find a viable method to contain and control. Tests and the historical behaviour of the virus has proved we can fight the battle by avoiding it rather than fighting direct for which we have still not found antibodies other than isolating them for a natural death we have found the way out.
Sri Lanka and India are classic examples of reaching the peak. India had some kind of control initially, but lost control due to the misbehaviour of the people and governance. We were riding so high before and now have gone down to the level of India and that we know the weakness means we can find a solution. It is based on the adage “Prevention is better than cure” and here the situation is different as there is no cure found yet. Therefore the strategy to win over the battle is definitely, training, practice, and mindfulness, following the guidelines, listening to expert advice and avoiding interference by the politicians, and adherence to health guidelines to the last word.
Life has to be completely changed to fight Covid-19 and live with Covid-19 for an unknown future in a digitised world that changes as a part of the fighting process. There is news that information and statists are hard to get by from the GMOA and some voice cut scientists misdirecting the public in past occasions.
The Government has over 23,000 Grama Sevakas, millions of Samudri workers and PHIs who are now vociferous day and night taking shop, which could be accessed via net easily. It is time for young professionals and concerned educated IT personnel to group themselves to work on a vision and a programme as examples to the bunch of buffoons who has messed up the situation with no vision, leadership and a line of action which is simple. Ambassadors’Forum is prepared to lead the group until we win the war on Covid-19provided we work hard together, with the network of foreign Sri Lankans world over prepared to work together. Let us use the database to access the masses misguided by the voice cut scientists, PHIs and medical organisations speaking with different voices. We hope this message will reach the governance awaiting innovations,ideas, visions and a scientific based plan of action.
Foreign policy
We are friendly with all and angry with none. But as everybody is in danger every little nation must help another. But some rich and powerful countries that are demanding and clamouring for human rights of other countries have a major percentage of vaccinations unused and to be expired shortly, when some countries have not been given a single vaccination.
India tried to help us but they themselves are in difficulty now. Of course China is helping us in every step. It is now over to the Foreign Minister to mobilise the network of ambassadors well paid and well looked after to be active like the other ambassadors worldwide when your country is in need of your expert knowledge and experiences.
Ambassadors are expected to be educated, well-spoken, innovative and experts in getting the best for the nation you serve.
Are they active as expected? What have they done and how many seminars, webinars or activities they are engaged on Geneva issue and the Covid- 19 menace? Definitely we have no option but to win the battle sooner or later and it is time to think and act above politics and other petty considerations as the time is now running out of us.
Think how we got over smallpox, malaria, tsunami, and the war on terror and it is time to regain, reacquire and recharge our inbuilt power and capacity to win the world over which is a possibility if we work together with an aim, strategy and determination.