Daily Times

Coronavirus was first traced in China’s Wuhan city in the third week of December, 2019. The Pakistan government alerted the people and closed its borders and air flights to and from China. However, the first two cases of coronavirus in Pakistan, noticed on 26 February 2020, returned from Iran, despite screening of the returning pilgrims at the airport. Since then the government regularly has been informing the provinces and the people about coronavirus cases on a daily basis. Till 10 March 2020, there were total 16 cases of COVID-19 in Pakistan. The first two patients died on March 18.

Since February 2020, the government, along with the provincial governments, the health department, the National Coordination Committee (NCC), the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) and the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) is fighting the COVID-19 with a robust strategy focusing on preventing the virus and treating the patients, ensuring social distancing through lockdowns, and addressing the economic/poverty issues arising out of the lockdown.

The government alerted the people about the symptoms of the virus, and the preventive measures and asked the provinces and the ICT to prepare to fight the virus by creating quarantine centres and isolation wards in their district hospitals and the hospitals should mainly focus on isolating and treating the coronavirus patients.

The government has closed airports and land borders, but made special arrangements to bring back stranded Pakistanis from abroad and send back foreigners to their respective countries. Those, who return from abroad are being properly screened/quarantined on arrival.

The number of virus cases being much less in Pakistan than many advanced countries indicates that the performance of federal and provincial governments to fight the virus is praiseworthy

Dr Zafar Mirza keeps giving updates on the virus while the prime minister (PM) frequently addresses the nation and calls the meetings of the NSC, NCC, NCOC and the cabinet, frequently, to take important decisions regarding fighting the virus.

The NDMA has procured/received a large number of face masks, 52,000 testing kits and sufficient number of ventilators mainly from China and distributed to the hospitals, to meet the need till May 15, 2020. Of course, the NDMA will continue to procure more equipment depending on the need.

To prevent the further spread of the virus, the government has closed educational institutions till the end of May and asked the provinces to clamp total/partial lockdowns on cities/towns to avoid gatherings and ensure social distancing. To ensure the lockdown implementation the Army has been called in aid of civil power.

In line with the government strategy, provinces are implementing their plans quite well. They have enhanced their medical capacity, have got the protective gear, testing kits and ventilators from the NDMA, and their doctors/paramedics are working hard. They have clamped total or partial lockdowns to ensure social distancing. The government is coordinating the antivirus effort among the provinces through the NCOC.

To maintain food supply chain during the lockdown period, the prime minister has ordered to keep the highways/roads/railways across the country open for transporting goods. Through their efforts, the prime minister and the foreign minister have managed to get rescheduling of the foreign debt and $1.38 billion additional loans from the IMF and $1.7 billion from the ADB to fight the virus.

To support the economy and the low income people/daily wagers affected due to the lockdown, the prime minister has approved a Rs 1.2 trillion economic relief package, Rs 150 billion for low-income groups/daily wagers, Rs 280 billion for wheat procurement, and Rs 100 billion to support small industries and the agriculture sector.

While the government has increased the monthly stipend under BISP to Rs 3,000, it has also started distributing Rs 12,000 per poor family under the Ehsaas programme. The provinces and charities are also distributing rations/money to the poor. The prime minister approved that if the doctors/paramedics treating the virus patients die out of the virus, they will be considered as martyrs.

The number of virus cases being much less in Pakistan than many advanced countries indicates that the performance of federal and provincial governments to fight the virus is praiseworthy. However, to fight the virus more effectively, more should be done.

The policy decisions being made should be implemented on a priority to get quick results. Indigenous efforts to produce an antivirus medicine/vaccine and medical equipment should be coordinated centrally. For real time medical supplies’ forecast, management software should be devised and linked with hospitals. While the virus testing capacity needs to be enhanced, the disposal of infectious waste needs strict monitoring.

To sustain the economy and support the poor, an economic sustainability versus prolonged lockdown model be studied. As the prime minister has already allowed the agriculture and construction sectors to function, a smart lockdown may be practiced with economy’s gradual opening. While women workers and single mothers/widows need special attention, the government should request the UNHCR to care for the Afghan Refugees.

The writer is a former Consultant and Research Fellow of IPRI and a Senior Research Fellow of SVI, Islamabad