I write to you in reference to your article Indonesian policeman killed by sword-wielding militant (June 1). This piece relates the brutal killing of a policeman by a militant armed with a sword, a tragic incident that must be condemned by leaders worldwide. The threat of militancy seems to be a growing menace in all parts of the world. This borderless problem must be addressed by the international community.
Sad state of affairs indeed.
K Ragavan, Bengaluru
Developing countries must start planning for the next pandemic
Please refer to the article by Damien McElroy Coronavirus: In finding a vaccine, why fortune favours the brave (May 30). Whilst the world searches urgently for a vaccine to fight Covid-19, there is also a desperate need to expand medical facilities, mobilise doctors and nurses as well as to give access to life-saving medical equipment in developing countries like India, Pakistan, and in Africa. During the lockdown in India, many Covid-19 patients had to wait for admission in hospital due to a shortage of beds.
Therefore, patients suffering from other ailments such as heart disease, diabetes, cancer or others, and needed hospitalisation, have also had a difficult time securing a hospital bed. Patients requiring non-urgent surgeries have had to postpone operation or treatment altogether.
The reason of course is that Covid-19 is an unexpected pandemic and governments across the world were not prepared for it at all. However, some visionary leaders had warned us something like this could happen. The world did not heed Bill Gates’s warning, issued as early as 2015, when he had said that the next crisis in the world will not be a war, but a virus. Nobody heeded his advice.
Developing countries need to seriously invest in the healthcare care, investing as much as five per cent of their Global Domestic Product in this field, to prepare for future emergencies.
Rajendra Aneja, Dubai
Abu Dhabi restrictions have been imposed to save people's lives
I write to you in reference to your editorial Abu Dhabi restrictions are part of a bigger plan (June 1). These restrictions will save lives. The more freedom of movement is allowed, the more people will be at risk of contracting the virus. And the more we stay home and do not travel to other places the safer we will be.
Touhid Ahmed, Dubai