19 in some form over the past year and since the COVID-19 pandemic began. More reports also expose the impacts of COVID-19 pandemic to the mental health of our essential and frontline workers, medical staffers, care providers, people with disabilities, our seniors, the homeless and marginalised sectors. In addition to the distress brought by COVID-19 is the alarming overdose deaths amidst the pandemic. Suicide and self-harm is rampant due to the isolation. Many evictions, relationship changes, and job losses add to the many struggles brought by the pandemic. Then, there’s also the stigma that demonises, isolates, harms, and kills. Rather than compassionately treating mental distresses, and
addiction as public health issues, the police nowadays abuse and execute, and our public health systems greatly fail in tackling these crises resulting in fatalities. All these highlight where our public money is being spent, the deepening issue of systemic racism in healthcare, and how governments condone police brutality and extra judicial killings. With the injustice brought by the war on drugs and the increasing police brutality, the question,
“Who’s
Next?” remains in the air and it is indeed very rattling.