Changing the COVID-19 outcome is in our hands

By Captain Mahmood Al Mahmood

The West Asian neighbourhood has historically been symbiotically linked to India and Bahrain has a 5.000-year head start on the relationship which later transformed into a thriving contemporary commercial and social one.

When the COVID-19 pandemic took hold, India stepped in to help by sending a bulk supply of its hydroxychloroquine tablets to help the Kingdom strengthen its defences against the pandemic. India also sent drugs and specialist medical teams to the UAE and Kuwait because it saw its Arab neighbours as part of the fight and in need of support.

Now, with India in the grip of a terrible second wave, Bahrain and other GCC countries have stepped up to the plate and started sending much-needed oxygen to India. Bahrain yesterday dispatched a first lot of cryogenic oxygen on board two Indian warships that came to take it to a people who are literally gasping for breath.

The numbing body-count has deeply affected us all and it is easy to be overwhelmed by the reality of a runaway disease. However, we would all do well to remember that the solution, as always, rests in our hands. By all means stay informed and abreast of news – but do not react with anger, negativity or fear. We can react with generosity and giving. Heard of rising COVID numbers in an Indian city? Check the ‘net for local charities and individuals reaching out and offer donations. Simply by retweeting and sharing pleas for help, we can give voice to thousands of strangers in distress. If our actions can save even one person, that’s a job well-done.

Finally, to honour those who have been snatched from us, let us try to extend as much support to our community. I cannot emphasise how much it is in our hands to save lives. Simply by following protocol even if vaccinated. Each one of us is a potential firewall, a break in this unrelenting ripple of disaster.

Let us pledge in the name of all whom we have lost to stay safe. For ourselves, for the world.