The healthcare sector in India is a victim of the overall caste mentality of our society. Lacking community spirit and civic values, we find it impossible to develop efficient public systems, whether it be transport, electricity, water, or healthcare. We are unable to think publicly and act publicly, everything in our society must be divided into corporate spheres imitating the division between touchables and untouchables. We defend our private interests even during a pandemic and fail to realize that we rise and fall together. COVID has showed us once again how ill-prepared we are to unite against a common enemy. The dismal failure of the healthcare system is just a symptom of a much wider failure to emerge as a nation. Hiring more healthcare personnel might take us through this crisis but the only long-term solution is to develop a sense of public good over and above private or caste interests.
