1 July. 2020
by : Nushift
We are living in interesting, unprecedented, and trying times. The lockdown, across many countries and especially in India, is a completely new experience.
But, make no mistake, this will end. There will be a vaccine, there will be new approved treatments and we will, most definitely, have new and improved health protocols. Hopefully, people would have learned to keep their surroundings clean, to eat healthy, boost their immune systems, refrain from spitting in public and take adequate measures to sanitize.
However, the world that we get back to will be significantly different – and we hope in a good, positive way.
What will change?
Our attitude towards healthcare and the medical professionals will change. On the one hand, we will see more being invested in healthcare – more hospitals, better equipment, vaccines and on the other – we will see a better ratio of healthcare professionals vis-à-vis the population. DID YOU KNOW THAT INDIA HAS A DOCTOR TO POPULATION RATIO OF 1:1457.
There will be a spurt in DIGITAL HEALTHCARE, which has already shown its mettle in the current crisis. Surveillance, as a public measure, is expected to become a norm. Healthcare e-commerce is expected to boom, and we have already seen a lot of conventional business move online – whether it is payment or delivery.
What will be most interesting and possibly have the longest lasting impact will be the change in habits. HOPEFULLY. Awareness for hygiene – personal and public – has seen a surge and will continue to do so. We will be more careful around the infirm, the elderly and children.
Technology!
However, the thing that is most likely to bring about the biggest change will be the USE OF TECHNOLOGY. Not a solution unto itself, technology will aid medical professionals diagnose better, accurately, and timely. In a contactless world, it will be gadgets and equipment – relying on AI, ML, etc. – which will be the point of contact.
Digital health solutions, including telemedicine, digital and contactless thermometers, monitors etc. will see a boom. Hospitals and clinics will become more mobile – reaching far corners and making it convenient for the rural population.
Innovate!
A classic case of innovation is the use of trains – any way stationary because of the lockdown – as hospitals and quarantine centres. If retained and built upon, this flexible concept has the capability of supplementing the healthcare infrastructure substantially. More such innovations are surely in the offing and it can only be good for us all.
Healthcare is set to transform, and the people need to play a key role. Whether it is civic sense, better personal and public hygiene, physical distancing, better awareness and preparedness, better use of technology, better support to the infirm, the elderly and children, better networking and connect – it all emanates from a population which is CONNECTED; wants to COLLABORATE; is EDUCATED; and, EMPOWERED. Let us not forget that the Government and other agencies will do their bit, but the onus will lie squarely and surely with THE PEOPLE.
‘THIS IS TIME TO CHANGE & TIME TO BE RESPONSIBLE’.