COVID-19 War Room

 After the 21 day-day nationwide lockdown was declared by prime minister Narendra Modi, the government of Nagaland, plunged headlong to combat COVID-19 albeit in a hurried way. No state was prepared to manage and enforce the lockdown since it was like a national emergency declared to fight an unseen and powerful enemy. The lockdown virtually brought all normal life and its activities to a grinding halt. The lockdown has to permit emergency activities such as movement of essentials goods including groceries, milk, food items, fruit, vegetables and transport of agri products and allowing farmers to sell their products directly. There were other measures all of which were aimed at preventing infection or spread of COVID-19.Most states went to war against COVID-19 and formed their warriors and strategies but without any commander-in-chief to steer coordination. On April 14, state Governor R.N.Ravi convened a meeting with all the top administrative and security officials to mainstream the entire command and control structure. This resulted in the establishment of a ‘war room’ headed by the chief secretary as the commander-in-chief. A war room may be replicating the command and control structure of an army going to war so it is but appropriate in order to delineate responsibility and accountability. Earlier to formation of the state’s war room, all crucial decisions depended on the clearance from politicians in power. That is not a bad thing but it becomes a problem when there is no accountability. There is nothing wrong with politicians at the helm provided they have the required knowledge about fighting a war against such a deadly virus like COVID-19. Even at the national level, the union health minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan is the key person monitoring the battle plans and execution. It is quite evident that most states even till today, are still grappling with how to effectively manage the entire strategy. It is the first time in the history of the world that a pandemic of such a magnitude has forced every nation into taking adequate containment measures. The meeting on April 14 held at Raj Bhavan , identified the gaps and weaknesses in the existing preventive protocols and procedures to fight the virus, and took appropriate measures to further strengthen the existing mechanism. To put in place an effective holistic response to this unprecedented global crisis, the Governor suggested immediate setting up of a multi-department – “COVID-19 WAR ROOM” under the chief secretary. The Governor suggested the “War Room” to have integrated verticals on health logistics, health services, availability of essential commodities, law & order enforcement relating to COVID-19, status of our people stranded and stuck up in various parts of the country besides close monitoring and analysis of day to day unfolding COVID- 19 situation in the state .It will closely monitor aggressive tracing, tracking and testing of suspect cases and also do the real time stock taking of medical inventories. The objective of the lockdown will be meaningless unless the entire efforts focus on the 4 ‘T’s -Tracing, Tracking , Testing and Treating. Kerala leads the nation in setting up a war room to tackle COVID-19. It also has taken initiatives to find treatment solutions and at the same time ensuring that people do not starve.