Rizal Philippines
April 2, 2020
With due respect to our current leaders leading the campaign/war vs coVid 19, allow us to give 2 cents worth of our comments. We know that under the circumstances you have done your very best. One of the lessons of history, is that we should learn from lessons of the past and current events. That we should have not forfeited our chances and opportunities to stay ahead should not be overemphasized.
We are ahead of Italy and USA in acting decisively when we knew that the threat of the pandemic was here hence the low numbers (or we do not know the real numbers once we test) We can not fault every one else yet because the events are happening so fast. The US, Italy and SK experience were almost simultaneous.
Let us just mention here the scenario planning Scenario planning and Norman Schwarskopf who was well known to have employed such tool. Like MacArthur he believed in running a war through the soldiers satisfied belly ie that the logistics train must accompany the troops. To build up the capability of the Allied Forces it took several months to bring together manpower and equipment that could strike the enemy hard. The campaign had four parts which should take 48 days to accomplish; he did this in 38. The USAF said that the air campaign to blind Saddam and destroy much of their capabilities should take 5 days. They did.
Norman S was known to require a logistics plans for each scenario even when he was just batallion or brigade commander. Having a computerized checklist for each campaign down to slippers and toilet paper.
For Desert Storm, the only checklist they had was 3 x 5 index cards. He promoted that man to a general for having done a good job.
For this covid 19, it is well understood that we did not have the luxury of planning and anticipating all contingencies and since the disease was world wide, the shortages of PPE and ventilators would come into play.
We should learn from this may be a 3 year plan would do:
1. Build up inventories of PPE, vaccine and medicine and critical equipment, modifying procurement
procedures
2. Build up teams of epidimiogists lists, or team similar to NDRRMC with protocols for diseease
detection and reporting. Command and control
Define tasks of President, Sec of Health, other departments
Pandemic commander/head
Coordinating with PNP and other military personnel
3. Communication strategy: procedures and equipment to front lines and implementors.
4. Lockdown procedures:
1. Communication
2. Procedures: barricades/non interference by other parties; non stoppage food and medicine
delivery
3. Testing, isolation and triage
4. Quarantine centers
5. Pandemic centers (hospitals private and public where the sick will be confined
6. Standards for lifting lockdown
