26 July
There is a saying “health is wealth”. Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely absence of disease and infirmity as the WHO states. Our national policy pinpoints an integrated concept to raise the level of health of the country and promote the physical, mental and social well-being of the people to achieve the ‘Health for All’ goal by utilizing the primary healthcare approach. Concurrently, discipline is an asset to all who do wish to live and work with a healthy lifestyle. Keeping a disciplined life or livelihood, we can control our behaviour or the way we live healthily. Health and discipline or vice versa are like the head and tail of a coin as they are closely associated.
Basically, we should cleanse our hands frequently, don a mask in public, distance socially or physically with one another, shun a crowded event or gathering, get body temperature measured where necessary, and so on. Precisely, we all need to follow these health-related protocols directed by the Ministry of Health and Sports in line with the WHO’s instructions to stay healthy and disciplined personally as well as to enhance protection for others generally during this coronavirus pandemic era. Unless everyone lives in discipline with the public health-related enforcing rules and regulations, which are in place, authorities can take a disciplinary action upon any rulebreaker or discipline-breaker under the relevant legislation.
Here, we would like to quote one of Bogyoke Aung San’s speeches: “Now is a time when political consciousness is emerging, with some wavering. Our government complies with demands as much as possible. Like the parents who acquiesce to their children and take action against them if they reach beyond disciplines, our government will take action against those who are undisciplined and take more opportunities than they should. Demand your needs in accordance with rules and disciplines. We will comply with them in accordance with the rules.” We need to correlate health and discipline in the fight against COVID, which also impacts upon all of us not just social-economically but politically as well.
International news show that the deadly pathogen has killed approximately 590,000 people worldwide and infected up to 14 million in 196 countries to date since the outbreak erupted in China late last year. Resurgent cases are also rampant in some countries of the world. It results in re-tightening to re-enforce the restrictions once again in those countries. To kill the virus, some countries are sparing no efforts in seeking for vaccines. The World Health Organization, in its most recent assessment following a series of global clinical trials, identified 21 ‘vaccine candidates’. Almost half are related to Chinese companies or institutes.
So, the global health crisis may stay with us until unforeseeable future. In the meantime, an up-to-date figure in Myanmar indicates 346 confirmed cases with a total of 6 deaths. The Union Government has been containing the coronavirus infection to a certain extent. We call for a friendly reminder once again just to follow and practise the health disciplines above-mentioned so that we all could be able to live and work healthily as a saying goes: “Success is nothing more than a few simple disciplines, practised every day”.
GNLM
