Every day, we are vulnerable to a new outbreak, disease, pandemic or virus. Recent ones include the Marburg virus, Mpox, Ebola, Zika and the nightmarish experience we faced during the Covid-19 pandemic.

No one was ready. Governments and scientists across the world scrambled to understand and contain a fast-evolving threat. It was a new experience, scary, unpredictable and relentless. However, when one is unwell, the burden of care falls significantly on a select group, those in the medical space.

During Covid-19, we all expected doctors, nurses and clinical officers to have the answers. We wanted them to always know what to do. But these healthcare providers were themselves at high risk of contracting the disease. It was overwhelming. Society expected them to be demigods, when in reality, they are human too.