Bugbog, Bruised… Alive and Kicking

“Bugbog, Bruised… Alive and Kicking”

Maria Eliza R. Navarro, MD, FPCP, FPSN

My family is finally getting vaccinated. Whew. You would think that my parents, being senior citizens, would have gotten their shots earlier, but local government has been fantastically consistent in their ineptitude. And so, my family is benefiting from a friend’s assistance through a private corporation. Some would have been tempted to jump the queue, more out of desperation and fear for their loved ones and I can truly understand the sentiment. But citizenries can only lay claim to being civilized when even in the face of wretchedness, we stand our ground and can only hope that this integrity somehow also percolates into the leadership….

It certainly is tiring. Yes, we still go out and do what we do because it is more than a job to us. Label it what you may—a vocation, a calling, a profession, a passion. Mind you it is not beyond us to feel weary, jaded and fed up.  But somewhere entrenched in all of us is that fount, that depth where you can pull out whatever smidgen of strength you didn’t know you had left. Regrettably, not everyone will have the same patience or be predisposed to be as hard-wearing as us in the medical field. This pandemic had led to extraordinary conditions and left us in a state of social isolation at all levels—as individuals, as a family, as a society. We feel powerless against a virus that has no effective treatment. The disconnect between policy and implementation chafes on a bruised nation handled by a maladroit regime.

The pervasiveness of untruths and lack of a consistent and steady hand to steer us leaves a populace that is increasingly confused and misguided. What can we do?  As members of a scientific community, it settles on us to get involved and guide one another. There is no single publication, no single review, no single expert or brilliant mind, no perfect analysis, no single solution at hand. The more nuanced and technical the issue, the more we need to understand that a multidisciplinary effort and the willingness to dive into different areas we may not necessarily be adept at may make the difference. Learn how to screen and filter opinions and interpretations related to global health issues in this pandemic. Don’t pay attention to rhetoric, short-sighted viewpoints whose sole aim is to discredit and defame; spotlight hogs and weepy and self-pitying displays do not get the job done. Have an open but critical mind; adopting extreme positions and having a predetermined attitude leave little room for growth and improvement. Let’s keep asking the difficult questions. Let’s have a debate of opposing views; it is all too easy to criticize without being challenged. Stay focused on the content, the rationale, the consistency of the messages and the data.

Let us not fall prey to resignation. When we have a collective resilience, that alignment towards a common goal becomes more imaginable. We already have that sense of purpose. We just stay together and get the work done.