ABSTRACT
Persons from all spheres of life have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic to varying degrees. Guwahati being the headquarters of all major commercial, industrial, academic and health-related establishments had to bear the brunt. During the initial phase of the pandemic, people were anxious about the scarcity of medical care, food, water supplies, baby foods, and the like, but after the lockdown, other issues were created, such as joblessness, technical challenges, economic imbalance, death in the family or of neighbours, community spread and more. The pandemic brought novel challenges for humanitarian service providers, which included dispensing sanitizer, masks, face shields, gloves, medicines, life supports like oxygen, portable ventilators, emergency medicines, food, money, transferring serious patients to the hospital and tele-counselling and telemedicine support, which had a remarkable positive outcome. Although the responses were not always positive, it pushed each service provider to give their best. The pandemic was experienced from different platforms including the Assam police, Pratishruti Cancer and Palliative Trust, MONON (a psychological service provider), and from personal suffering. In this chapter, the rise in physical, as well as mental health, issues and discrimination are highlighted through the perspective of a doctor, a psychologist, and a COVID-19 survivor.
