Only two things have helped during this pandemic wave. The first is people’s willingness to help. And the second is technology.
The second big wave of COVID-19 pandemic is all around us. This round has proven far more fatal for those affected and far more challenging for the authorities – decision makers, civic authorities, healthcare providers.
Just one problem – shortage of oxygen for affected patients with lower oxygen levels – has thrown our healthcare systems into complete disarray.
At this point, there is just one priority before all of us – to be careful and help each other. Those who are believers can pray too.
In this gloomy time, one good thing is that people have risen to the occasion.
There are many who have collated information in microsites, created apps for multiple purposes, from providing info to providing help, and even for helping people with vaccination.
Needless to say, this has been possible for the wide penetration of digital media. Even if people are not on social media, someone somewhere has put their SOS on social media. No need to point out that, the reach is still nowhere near perfect, but at least, we have made a beginning.
Only two things have helped. The first is people’s willingness to help. And the second is technology.
There are three important takeaways from this.
One, let us keep the momentum. As everyone is highly charged—because we have seen our family and friends suffering and even succumbing—we should channelize this energy to do something for our healthcare.
Two, we have seen that neither the central government nor the various state governments—have been able to provide adequate measures. While, hopefully, the public administrators and policymakers too will learn from this, we have to now plan what we, the people, can do in a crowdsourced, but slightly more organized manner.
Three, we have to keep thinking of disruptive use of technology. Necessity is the mother of innovation. And there has never been a bigger necessity than this. There has to be some concrete planning. We need a community approach – everyone’s involvement but definitely some planning—and leadership.
The best people to provide that leadership are the enterprise IT leaders, because they only have the track record and experience to translate needs to project specifications and get them delivered. As far as technology workforce is concerned, that is not a worry—at least not in India. Our world-class technology services industry and the ecosystem have ample manpower, to translate the ideas.
During the first wave of the pandemic, they provided able leadership to save the economy. Now is the time to save humanity—not just for now, but in the future as well.
Hopefully, they will rise to the occasion.