By Rev Lyndan Syiem
I write this article from a hospital bed, on my mobile phone, as I’m slowly recovering from a nasty attack of the COVID 19 virus. Physically, I’m weak and helpless because I’m dependent upon oxygen support, drips, injections, nebulizers, and the rest. But it is precisely this condition that grants me an audience before the general public, when I write as someone who has personally experienced the illness.
You may call it oversimplification, but I believe there are three groups of people: The COVID Sceptics who are also vaccine conspiracy theorists, the COVID Realists who have been or are going to be vaccinated, and the large majority who I will call the COVID Complacent, only some of whom have been vaccinated. They have no strong reasons against vaccination, but will wait for the rest of the herd. My primary audience is the latter, who I believe will help turn the tide against this pandemic by cooperating with the government and the dorbar shnongs.
Friends, our state will soon be in deep trouble if we don’t change our attitudes now: on masking, sanitizers/soap, physical distancing and vaccination; I will also add public feasting at weddings and funerals. When the lockdown ends, and if people return to their careless ways, the number of positive cases will shoot up and our limited health care system will be overstretched. I can already see the strain on our doctors, nurses, technicians and ward staff here at Bethany Hospital, as they rush from emergency case to emergency case.
These health workers are people with families and small children at home, and yet they sacrifice their valuable time to care for and serve COVID patients. It can become extremely hot inside a PPE suit, and yet they serve long hours with friendliness and professionalism. I offer my humble salute to all our health workers throughout the state, who are among the few groups that are not staying home during this lockdown. You have the prayers of the entire community, that is grateful for your dedicated services.
But if we really respect our health workers and we truly honour their sacrifices, we must show it in action. How? It’s simple: Just follow the Protocols. Someone may ask, what about you Pastor? I must humbly admit that I slipped somewhere along the line; and now I’m paying a heavy price for my complacency.
If you’re asymptomatic or have just mild symptoms, you’ll never know this. But those with moderate to severe symptoms have all experienced that burning sensation in the lungs, that gasp for precious oxygen, that struggle to cling to life with every breath. At my most painful moments, I remembered Genesis 2:7, “Then the LORD God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.” I would pray through parched lips: “Give me the breath of life, O Creator God.” And he graciously answered my humble prayer.
Friends I’m sharing my mistake because I want you to learn from my unforced errors and carelessness. Please don’t repeat my mistake. I’m sharing my spiritual experience because I want to encourage the COVID patients and their anxious families. Keep praying, keep hoping, keep fighting. I’m sharing my suffering because I want you to know that COVID 19 causes excruciating pain in the lungs; many people are too weak to fight back, they give up breathing, and just die. The sight on television of people dying in the hospital parking lots of Delhi is tragic, it’s heart-breaking. The sight of long lines of dead bodies awaiting their final rites has shocked the entire world. I pray dear Heavenly Father, please spare Meghalaya such tragedy. Help our people O Merciful Father, to come to their senses!
This virus is treasonous, it lulls people to a false sense of security. It’s insidious working can be observed in my case: Of the about 100 people that I met during the contact tracing period, the virus latched on to only about 26 people, including my wife and two children. Of these, 19 are asymptomatic, 5 had mild symptoms, including my two children: only two, my wife and I were hospitalized. What do these figures convey? Some people may react dismissively: “It strikes only 2% of the population.” Isn’t that way too much?
But imagine if the 19 asymptomatics roamed around freely and infected others with the virus. Meghalaya’s population is over three million. Imagine if just 1% of 3 million, which is 30,000, experience severe respiratory distress and required hospitalization in oxygen-equipped beds! Some estimates say Meghalaya has just 12,000 hospital beds, with less than 1000 being equipped to handle COVID patients, with oxygen support and isolation. The other beds are required for other illnesses, injuries and obstetrics.
Friends, we are staring at a possible disaster. Unless we quickly embrace masks, sanitizers/soap, physical distancing, vaccination, and unless we immediately stop community feasting, we will be in deep trouble. But it is also at such times of distress that the people of God have spontaneously fallen on their knees in prayer, as is happening right now in Meghalaya. … I have sworn to God that I will serve as a Pastor, a shepherd of the flock, and I remain a shepherd even from my hospital bed, a wounded shepherd, if you like. It is with this heavy responsibility that I write this article to the flock, as well as to society at large: Please follow the SOPs faithfully. Please pray and vaccinate prayerfully.
Through it all, I’m happy it was the Pastor and not the parishioners that was hospitalized. I accept that it’s time for someone from the ministry to suffer with our people, so as to encourage them from within the pain. For too long have I been insulated from the pain and prayed for COVID patients from above the struggle. Now I’m fully in with you brothers and sisters, and I can understand exactly what you’re going through.
Do not be afraid because the Lord has promised never to leave us or forsake us. If you recover, you will grow in your relationship with Him. What happens if you do not? … Pastors must always be honest about the possibility of death in extreme cases, and I’ll answer, with due respect to other faiths, as a Christian. … If you are not able to recover, then just go on ahead in faith and you will find Jesus waiting for you on the other shore.
Friends, I’m in the midst of a long, painful struggle against COVID, and it’s been a privilege to be able to chronicle the process. I hope it encourages people amidst these troubled times. I also hope it raises awareness on COVID prevention. I close by humbly reaching out to the COVID Sceptics, who have their own reasons and convictions. I request you with folded hands not to undermine public confidence on Health Department advisories by forwarding outlandish claims about microchips in the vaccines, about the number of the beast and Bill Gates getting rich off the vaccine. Keep your personal convictions, no one can force you, but please don’t disrupt the Public Health Services of the Government.
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