Opinion: ‘Without health, what is there?’

The pandemic has forced us to re-examine society’s values.

We were compelled to realise that without health, we don’t have much of anything: we don’t have an economy, we don’t have commerce, we don’t have a truly functioning society without it.

The outpouring of public affection for the NHS and those who work in it was a powerful symbol of this dawning realisation.

The vaccines are being distributed, albeit in fits and starts; I’m glad that by the time this is published there will be a mass vaccination centre in operation on Thorpe Road. However, it’s premature to celebrate; Israel’s experience suggests that deadly spikes can occur even after approximately half the population has received their first dose.

We also need to look to public health in general. The virus is deadly and pernicious: it can strike down anyone. But pre-existing conditions and lifestyle factors can make it worse. If you are healthy in general, the disease’s impact can be minimised. The pandemic’s context has merely proven yet again that we need to pay much more attention to health and the facilities to maintain it.

Vivacity had run public leisure facilities on behalf of Peterborough council. Last summer, it walked out from its contract, due to the cost pressures incurred by the lockdown. At the time, this issue wasn’t high on the agenda compared to fitful attempts to re-open our city and the country.

However, it’s worth revisiting the issue of public leisure facilities.

Furthermore, will we develop a revised fit for purpose city-wide health strategy? It’s just been proven that ensuring that our city’s residents are as healthy as possible is literally a matter of life and death.

Peterborough and the Labour Group is fortunate to have the skill and advice of a trained medical professionals, Cllr Sam Hemraj and Cllr Dr Shabina Qayyum. When and if Labour takes control of Peterborough Council, they will take the lead on developing and implementing a public health strategy, not only for the pandemic period but beyond.

We must keep in mind that it is likely that we will be living with the coronavirus for some time to come: the virus has evolved, as we’ve discovered to our cost. We will adapt. I can foresee a future in which we possibly go for an annual or bi-annual coronavirus jab.

It may become a ritual as normal and unproblematic as getting vaccinated against the flu.

However, we also must encourage the people of Peterborough to get healthier. We will ensure that leisure centres are available and make certain that advice on how one’s health can be improved is to hand. The cost of enacting a pro-active strategy is marginal compared to the savings: we will save on lost working days and expenses incurred by the NHS.

Furthermore, as the numbers of those who have died during the present pandemic has shown us, the cost of business as usual is a mounting and irredeemable loss.

I don’t see any sign from the Conservative Administration that they are thinking about this; it’s not surprising, given that they have been battered by time, fatigue, and crisis.

However, this is just another indication that it’s time for them to go.