A catastrophe unseen, a war unusual,
A single Global enemy, united we face,
While on one hand, distancing us,
This horrendous Black Swan,
'World Wide Web' on the other,
Draws us closer, to tackle this head on.
As we approach and eagerly wait for the midnight bell that ushers us into a brand new year leaving behind as deemed by most a ‘disastrous 2020’ which witnessed this pandemic bringing the entire globe to a standstill, economies crumbling, natural disasters wreaking havoc, border tensions escalating, protests and communal riots. While we debate whether this year was Blessing or Curse? Boon or Bane? Living through it definitely leaves us more determined, much wiser.
As Charles Darwin said “It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent, it is one that is most adaptable to change”. And a lot changed as 2020 imparted some priceless life lessons.
I was a proud employee as I saw, my organization quick off the mark in reacting to this opportunity, setting off on an exhilarating journey from April’2020 becoming the first private lab approved by ICMR for COVID testing, as I saw the first pictures of my colleagues in lab donning their PPE, smiling and all set for their front line war, all other teams re-aligning overnight, processes fast streamlining to provide seamless services, the commitment & dedication of all working employees from office or from home day and night, acclimatization to all baffling government restrictions which kept changing at the drop of a hat, yet emerging victorious and making its own way, under the most able guidance of the Captain of the Ship who directs and always holds us all together with the sole purpose to make a real difference to the society , serve customers the best!
In these trying times, it was “digitization” which kept us afloat. ‘Virtual’ became the new ‘Ritual’. I read on my ‘In shorts’ app some time back a compelling article on what happens every minute on Internet now. A few of the many facts that astonished me were – World Wide – in a minute - consumers spend 10 lakh dollars online, Whatsapp users share 4,16,66,667 messages, Amazon ships 6659 packages, Netflix users stream 4,04,444 hours of video, Zoom hosts 208,333 participants in a meeting, Instagram users post 3,47,222 stories. Time will tell if interactive platforms like Byju’s will become successful in making the classrooms obsolete. Expanse widening & penetration deepening is extremely palpable and fast transforming into a new limb without which surviving is becoming slowly impossible.
Digitization of Health care in a country like ours where the ratios of doctors, nurses, beds etc per unit population are largely skewed holds utmost importance. Book a test online and a technician reaches your house instantly. Many quarantine centers were also eventually closed down with more awareness on fast booming Home Health care segment. One – Third of the Doctor Consultations were done virtually in the pandemic. Corona gave a tremendous impetus through Digital channel to improve accessibility and affordability of Health care services by making it reach to your doorstep. If you do not wish to step out to buy your medicines – do not worry - a loud voice - “Urvasi – Urvasi Take it is Easy PharmEasy” will leave no stone unturned by popping up in almost every commercial break. With new innovations, of also now incorporating in your handheld a ‘Bluetooth stethoscope’ for diagnosis, as informed to me by one our clients, a plethora of Online Diagnostic Aggregators now provide end to end services from consultations, to ordering medicines & booking lab tests at great discounts, providing home health care, to storing your prescriptions, medical records, readings, medicine reminders all on a single platform.
“There is no smoke without fire” we presume when we read or see a piece on the news, but many a times there is. It was new and extremely disheartening for me to witness the audacity of certain media houses to openly circulate “Fake articles” carrying zero truth about my organization! Pandemic provided enough fodder for the news channels to run 24/7 only sowing fear and panic with no portrayal of recovery or hope, without bringing to light the other dire issues that our country faces today. Where high TRPs, more eyeballs, in some cases a political propaganda remains as the agenda, the biggest learning is to distance ourselves from creating a strong perception without taking into account the complete picture , both sides of the coin.
Personally, there is nothing more than a heart-felt gratitude for 2020.
-
Thank you for
bestowing upon me the Job I keep and bringing into life , my mentors who keep
making me better when most of the country grappled with an unemployment soaring
to an all-time high of 25% during lockdown
-
Thank you for making
me realize how less we need to live
-
Thank you for making
me realize the importance of committing to the moment
-
Thank you for making
me respect nature and as all memes circulating on WhatsApp correctly educated
on how nature reacts in its own ways while it healed, while the ozone
replenished, while the animals wandered on the roads they lived locking us
inside our houses
- Thank you for putting food on my plate when I daily saw a big line of migrant workers standing in queue for days together in scorching heat
-
Thank you for making
me understand the importance of “Good Health” and that care is not limited to
just avoiding the virus, but also utilizing the body to the fullest as told by
a Husband in the latest running Marathi serial to his fat wife “Use it or Lose
it” along with the state of positivity and importance of holistic wellness
Looking forward to 2021 and hoping it imparts more wisdom, more knowledge, more smiles…
