Every day, higher and higher numbers of people are succumbing to Covid-19. The tragic truth is, after last year’s first wave, we let our guard down, and all business, social, and cultural activities went back to normal, thus lulling people into a false sense of security.
Now, here we are, on the third day of the hard lockdown which began on Pohela Boishakh, desperately trying to contain the crisis which has overwhelmed the nation. But one thing lockdown cannot do, however, is cure the people who are already gravely ill. Many across the country, infected with Covid-19, are battling for their lives at this very moment, and the harsh reality is that we are not up to the task of taking care of all of them. We simply do not have enough ready, functional, and available ICU beds for all in need.
A report in this newspaper tells us that not a single empty ICU bed is available in seven out of the ten government Covid-dedicated hospitals in the nation. This is nothing if not alarming, and somewhat baffling as well. Last year, various coronavirus facilities were shut down, because it was said that they were no longer needed, that rather, resources were better spent elsewhere.
Furthermore, there have been reports of ICU beds lying idle while patients suffered. If there is a mismanagement of resources taking place in the health sector, the matter must be solved immediately.
Right now, the Covid-19 crisis must be seen as priority number one. It has cast a shadow of death and illness over our day to day lives, and if we are to prosper as a nation, first we must get out of this shadow.