The worst phase of Covid-19 is over and days are getting better……

Dear Readers,

Thanks a lot for your kind support. We are humbled to place on record our infinite gratitude for your uninterrupted, unwavering support to us in bringing out edition after edition on pertinent health issues.

When we thought that the worst was over, second Covid-19 wave has once again hit India hard. We are again seeing the doctors and the healthcare workers getting sick in large numbers. Even fully vaccinated doctors are testing positive for Covid-19.

While the second wave of Covid-19 in India is still facing challenging but with proper management and spreading awareness the days are getting better. You may say we have once again defeated the Corona virus.

As you know that US has a population of 328.2 million, as opposed to India’s population of 1.36 billion. USA had 599,863 Covid-19 related deaths. USA has one of the best healthcare infrastructures, USA has resources, has money. Yet, how many of you know USA underwent immense struggle during COVID surge?

How many of you know there was an acute shortage of medications, PPE kits- including face masks, even syringes and needles used in hospitals/healthcare settings? (We continue to have shortages of certain medications). How many of you know there was no room to store bodies in the morgues, the funeral homes were backed up? How many of you know there was and there is shortage of healthcare personnel? How many of you know many people lost jobs? No, there was no extra money that was paid to prescribers to treat Covid-19 patients. The shifts were long and excruciating at times. Most of us didn’t get to see our kids for days at a time. Many a time healthcare workers weren’t able to pee for hours together- because they were that swamped.

Most of you are clueless about it. Why? Because, the media in the US was a little more responsible with the reporting. People, regardless of their political ideology or religious ideology came together as one, to help each other. They didn’t make it a Republican Vs Democrat issue. Communities pitched in, they understood the limitations of the government, the healthcare sectors which included pharmaceutical industries.

Healthcare workers weren’t beaten up because someone’s loved ones died, healthcare workers weren’t thrown out of their apartment complexes because residents feared these workers would spread COVID. Hospital properties were not destroyed because someone’s loved one died. People were thankful, they tried to boost our morale by sending us random thank you notes, memorabilia, treats. Many corporates sponsored food for healthcare providers.

We didn’t have people black marketing essential medicines, oxygen cylinders. We didn’t and don’t have people trying to make an extra buck at the cost of other people’s lives. There is still some integrity, humanity and compassion remaining in general public in the USA. Did the government ask communities to do it? Did the healthcare workers ask for any of it? No. It was completely voluntary, people realized the importance of working together responsibly to keep America safe.

Interestingly, these days the hypocritical debate initiated by Yog Guru Baba Ramdev about Ayurveda and modern system of Medicine(allopathy) is lamentable. As IMA(Indian Medical Association) claims that Baba Ramdev seems to be levitating in midair without a leg to stand on, so to say, as he is himself not qualified in either of the two. He is a Yoga teacher and not an Ayurvedic Doctor and it is surprising that no one from that council or a government body responsible for Ayurveda has pointed this out.

One of the areas that Yoga excels is the peace of mind one attains through the practice of meditation; Ramdev Yadav does not seem to believe even in this part of Yoga. His mind is as far from calm and peaceful as one can possibly imagine and his acidic comments and vitriolic approach is a bad advertisement for Meditation and Yoga, the subject he learnt and now teaches.

Ignorance is the absence of knowledge. Stupidity is the presence of knowledge and the refusal to use it. This is often invoked in Science in a positive way. A true scientist never minds saying “i do not know”. These three words start him/her on a voyage of discovery that leads to progress. the ever dominant urge to ask WHY dominates scientific thought and temper . Had it not been this the world would still be grappling with scurvy, small pox, chicken pox, polio and a myriad other diseases that a non scientific mind would not even have learnt about leave alone find a treatment for.

Everyone should be safe and take all possible precautions while attending to your patients. The situation is grim and the infectivity much higher than the last time. All must be vaccinated, if they still have not. In this grave pandemic situation we have to take precaution and maintain social distancing. A disease free doctor can serve thousands of patients. So your safety is in your hands.

Let’s know about current issue of Double Helical there is more such interesting and thought-provoking stuff to savour. So, happy reading!

Thanks and regards

Amresh K Tiwary,
Editor-in-Chief