The uncertainty and struggles of the past few months has jeopardized their sense of self.

For many people, the uncertainty and struggles of the past few months has jeopardized their sense of self. It hasn’t helped that there is a growing sense of dissatisfaction and subdued anger against the state for their lack of transparency in pandemic management across several fronts. Numbers continue to rise and people are forced to resort to self protective measures but this is a convenience for only those who can afford it. It is not that the government has not responded but the efficiency and prioritization of response to crisis has been questionable. While the situation oscillates from panic over availability of oxygen, access to hospital beds, lack of availability of medication for the more severe cases, methods of disposal of the dead, there is also the grim reality of hunger, loss of livelihoods, troubled migration, and economic uncertainty not just across businesses but specifically those businesses that have not been allowed to operate yet. The pandemic fatigue is real but feeling disengaged, under stimulated and overwhelmed is not a luxury allowed to the common citizen who must cope with just keeping his head above water. It is a long journey ahead yet but government mechanisms must ensure that it does not cost lives and livelihoods that could have been saved had there been a little efficiency and compassion in addressing multiple issues. It is still not late for government mechanisms to build a transparent and coordinated response to the social and economic ramifications of the pandemic. The big focus is to catalyze transformational changes needed to guard healthcare and the economy. Aligning what is possible and what is needed must be at the top of this agenda. Resilience is not just about pushing through challenging times, it’s also the ability to adapt and respond to the country’s needs – immediate and future. Gatekeepers of political bias in government and bureaucracy must look at civic stability even as they keep the country’s almost 30 million citizens central to decisions that impact people’s lives.