Every crisis is an opportunity for change. Crises present us with unique challenges that demand extraordinary responses. They accelerate processes that would ordinarily take years to complete. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, such innovation has occurred in abundance.
Today, the world is facing challenges that most of us have never encountered in our lifetimes. The spread of the novel coronavirus has crippled the healthcare industry worldwide. It has created a global shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE) while normalising practices like social distancing and contact tracing.
As the virus continues to spread, how can healthcare workers access protective gear and medical supplies? How do we ensure minimal physical contact in public places as the lockdowns ease worldwide? What measures can be taken to effectively trace infected cases and curb the spread of the disease? These are just some of the most pertinent challenges facing the world today.
In India, for example, various public and private sector initiatives have attempted to meet these demands while also boosting the Government of India’s ‘Make in India’ campaign. The Indian Institute of Technology, for instance, have been tackling the shortage of protective gear with a range of low-cost innovations, including 3D-printed face masks, portable ventilators, makeshift bamboo furniture, disinfectant drones and affordable testing kits. The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), too, has developed several new products to aid healthcare workers, including hand sanitisers, bio suits and full-body disinfection chambers, among others.
A few start-ups, too, have even pivoted to tackle the shortage of protective gear. Others, especially those in the tech field, have taken to encouraging social distancing by developing a wide spectrum of innovations. These include robots to be stationed at hospitals and public places that dispense hand sanitisers and safety tips, digital platforms to disseminate information to the public, drones that monitor and touch-free lift buttons among others. Some have collaborated with the government to drive these innovations.
Such developments have set a remarkable precedent for innovation during the pandemic. As the situation continues to unfold, we will undoubtedly see new challenges emerge as we adapt to the new normal. With these new challenges, we will encounter new opportunities that demand new solutions. There is no better time to innovate than the present.
