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Dr. Mokeira J. Nyamache[/caption] Certainly, 100% good or bad is a fallacy. Do we pay the price for herd immunity or isolate until we find a cure and vaccine? And how will the masses be able to follow the guidelines whichever way we opt for? Floods are now competing with COVID-19 for lives in my country, malaria cases are going up, and cholera outbreak is in full swing with death toll competitively rising. As if that is not enough, unemployment has soared on eagles’ wings and pests are taking away the hope of at least a meal a day in many homes with the government opting for yet another huge loan to salvage the situation; we will pay when we pay. Simply thinking, two are better than one. Knowledge and experience are synergistic and yes, waiting to learn everything from own experience is a bit on the slow side of life.

  Let me tell you a bit about one patient that became a friend. A brilliant soul who eats life with a big spoon. Never too sad no matter the circumstances and even when I don’t think we should joke, he beams with laughter and says “Doc, you need to always be two steps ahead of them.’’ By the way, he has never specified who ‘them’ is and each time I ask, diversion is norm. The man is the age of my father and an excellent scholar in his field. One day we had to discuss a change in his management plan because the treatment was failing.

It was a tough conversation and I had lined up some of my super specialist colleagues to explain the situation that we were battling. The 45-minute discussion felt like it had lasted a whole day because of the weight of the matter. I did not know how my next consultation alone with him would be but I had to compose myself, hopeful for even a miracle. Nothing prepared me for what was to come next. He was physically frail, but his spirit as beaming as ever. He said he wanted to tell me a story before going home and so I needed to make time for him. I did. He told me about the six blind men of Indostan. I had not heard it before. Eager to learn they all went to observe the elephant though all were blind.

To one, upon touching the elephant was like a wall, and to the next like a spear.  To the third like a snake and to the fourth a tree. The fifth and sixth likened the elephant to a fan and rope respectively. And all were satisfied in their own blind worlds that they knew what an elephant is. He said if I forget everything about him, I should never forget the two things: this story and the need to always ‘’be two steps ahead of them.’’ Two years later, I was preparing for COVID-19 response targeting one of the most vulnerable populations I have ever interacted with in my entire career. Truck drivers, key populations and the communities along transport corridors and near borders. In my past, I had met several other categories of undeserved populations but these were different. Tough and real situations on the job taught me about their unique needs. 

 Therefore, as usual while planning, I was looking for opportunities to maximise the benefits for them and thankfully, I found a link to the national task force in preparation for COVID-19. I requested to participate in the discussions but seemingly, an envelope on the table was the pass in. After a few conversations, I thankfully got a chance to be there, even as much as the proverbial envelope was still unavailable. I was excited to see colleagues from years past in the frontlines across the continent and I knew I was in the right place at the right time. Our beneficiaries would definitely get consideration among these great minds. My knowledge and experience were limited, but I was confident in the power of synergy. To continue....