Editorial
Chill in the air
Needed immediate steps to mitigate sufferings
The weather forecasters have said that the cold wave is likely to stay for a few more days. As the temperature dips further, sufferings will increase; complications will arise. We should not waste time to take necessary actions to mitigate the sufferings of common people, specially the poor, as much as possible. Hospitals, clinics, pharmacies should stock up enough medicines in case there is a rise in cold related illness. Pneumonia has already cost many lives, especially of children, even before the winter had set in. There were stories of hospitals, health officials not prepared for the sudden spread of the disease. We hope similar scenes would be avoided this time. Then there is the dense fog which is disrupting life not only in general but specifically navigation in inland waterways. Ferries carrying passengers must not be allowed to be overcrowded, and should also not be allowed to sail unless a clear sign is given by the terminals. We lost far too many precious lives last year in ferry disasters, we don't want to loose any more in the new year. Government must ensure the safety of the passengers by giving strict instructions to the terminal officials. It's always the poor section of the population that suffers the most during such natural calamities. They neither have enough warm clothing nor do they have enough food to survive. Here the local government outfits as well as NGOs have an effective role to play. They must take adequate measures to protect this group of people. For example, collect old warm clothes from house to house, set up a fund with donations both individual and institutional and use their outfits scattered all over the country to distribute them wherever needed. Severe cold spell is a phenomenon of the nature that has been seasonally visiting our country for last few years. But lives of innocent people become casualty of such natural whims thanks to lack of preparedness; we must not allow it to repeat all over again.
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