2020 has been that kind of year for almost every one of us - we've been yanked out of our comfort zones as harsh realities have and continue to hit us from all quarters. As India battles the dreaded pandemic that's brought the healthcare system to its knees, it has also exposed many gaps at different levels of how we care for our sick and aged.

The vulnerability of older people towards this virus has been a huge concern. While many of them who had contracted it were already living with comorbidities, be it heart and lung disease, cancer or liver and kidney ailments, there were others with neurological conditions. We've read heartbreaking accounts of how patients needing timely dialysis or treatment for cancer had to grapple with a crumbling healthcare system, especially in the early months of the pandemic. Those with mental health issues like Alzheimer's, Parkinsonism and dementia faced similar hurdles with lack of access to doctors and attendants. The pandemic thus further exposed the gaping vacuum, of a woefully inadequate support chain for such patients.