COVID-19 Pandemic: Lessons for the Health Systems

The COVID-19 pandemic caused by a novel virus SARS-CoV-2 has swept the world, leaving behind a trail of free-falling economy, misery and death. The most vulnerable are the hardest hit-the elderly, those with chronic noncommunicable diseases and the poor and marginalised in society. The experience of various countries in handling the pandemic has shown that robustness of health system with surge capacity is critical to take the pandemic head-on. In the process important lessons for health systems have emerged. Countries with political leaders who led with a principled approach, while adopting an early and comprehensive strategy to contain the virus, have done better. Vulnerable populations should not be left to be further marginalised. To deal with the 'infodemic', communities should be engaged early. For successful handling of future challenges investment in public health is a must. National readiness and response capacity for epidemic control and disease surveillance need to be strengthened, leveraging modern technology. Institutional capacity building, pooling resources and harnessing innovations through partnerships would be key for mounting effective response now and in the future.