Daily Times

The coronaviruspandemic is a global and extremely threatening phenomenon of many dimensions. It has already spread to over 200 countries, affected millions of persons and killed hundreds of thousands of patients across the world. The threat posed by this pandemic is expanding like a deluge. By now all countries have started responding to the enormous challenges linked to corona, including disease management, coordinated national and multinational effort for safety of healthy persons, supply of food, economic support to the needy, funds for revival of businesses affected by lock-downs and, above all, intensive search for checking the spread of COVID-19. All seem to agree that nothing is more urgent than to develop a vaccine to check the spreading of this disease along with the necessary medical equipment for testing and treatment so as to provide necessary relief to the suffering humanity hit by the virus. Who are in the forefront of this enormously important work?

The matter of fact is that we lack the critical resources without which it is not possible to fabricate complex machines such as ventilators to ease breathing of corona patients

As in the past, this extremely sensitive and important work is led by the experimental laboratories of the leading universities of the world and other research units funded by pharmaceutical companies of the West. We know that some pioneering experiments have already led to the production of improved medical equipment in the University College, London (UCL) and elsewhere. The new equipment prepared in the UCL is the result of productive collaboration between a Professor of Trauma Medicine and a Formula-1 engineer who jointly redesigned and improved the breathing equipment for the corona patients in 48 hours. Another success story is that of Hong Kong University of Science and Technology where scientists applied Micro-fluidic Technology for the Testing Kits. The new machine produces critical results within 40 minutes. They also developed a new technology for temperature monitoring and quarantine measures. Their third innovation was the use of Autonomous Robots to deliver health care to patients. Finally, the HKU of Science and Technology supplied an effective Sterilizer that removes 99.99 % infectious viruses in seconds. We have not heard any such work accomplished in a Pakistani university or a research organization so far, though the Minister of Science and Technology and the Adviser to the Prime Minister on Science and Technology appeared on many TV Talk Shows and foretold miracles likely to appear soon, but nothing worthwhile is seen as yet.

Why can they do all that elsewhere, but not here?

Many scientists and university professors of Pakistan, having won civil awards for their ”extraordinary work” repeatedly over the years, are just waking up slowly to the big challenge of COVID-19. As shown in this case, their previous work hasn’t made any impact on the country’s innovation drive so far. Yet, there are a selected few who have appeared on TV to declare the great successes achieved in their labs, without showing any evidence. They have the audacity to make big claims, without being challenged by the scientists’ community or the National Science and Technology Organizations. Nor is our media fully sensitive to the need to assess the reality behind such claims. The fact is that the boundary between reality and shadowy claims is too confusing to allow a proper probe in Pakistan. All this has become a part of our culture which, in turn, determines the standards of education and research in the country. So the problem needs to be probed at deeper level.

Let us try to understand what kind of challenges COVID-19 poses to the scientists and engineers of Pakistan and what their technological potential is. We know that coronavirus is a natural pandemic and it can be handled by the knowledgeable persons through scientific methods and strict administrative measures. The experience of China, South Korea, Germany, Japan and other success stories show us the path to the gradual recovery in the long run. No other remedy – Homeopathic, Ayurvedic or spiritual – is likely to fight it out. Loud claims, propaganda, national songs or meditation won’t work in this case. A British Professor who heads the core group of scientists working on this project has clearly stated: “Make sure you come out with a solution which is not substandard and harmful for human health.” For obvious reasons, Covid-19 will be ultimately defeated by an effective and reliable vaccine which requires intensive work by the top scientists in modern laboratories. We don’t seem to have the resources, material and human, to undertake this type of work. Nor have we shown at the national level the drive required to take a big leap forward towards the final goal. Instead, we have opted for an easy solution and are looking up to the foreign experts for help in this crisis.

Can this work be taken in hand in Pakistan?

In order to answer this question, we need to know if our doctors, scientists and engineers have complete knowledge of the sciences and the technology involved in this work? Do they have sufficient experience of working with the sophisticated machines and understanding of the computational techniques used in such operations?

The matter of fact is that we lack the critical resources without which it is not possible to fabricate complex machines such as ventilators to ease breathing of corona patients.

Only a university or a research organization having access to advanced levels of science and technology and highly skilled workers can plan production of testing kits, temperature monitoring, autonomous robots for delivering health care, ventilators and so on.

If we ask the Pakistan Engineering Council, PCSIR, PMDC, HEC, PHEC, HMC, or Pakistan Council for Science and Technology if they are able to stop COVID-19 under an emergency plan, the likely answer would be: “yes, if we are given sufficient time to deliver.” We have heard this standard answer from our professors and scientists for the last 73 years. Just to make this point clear, a Vice Chancellor took a packet of ordinary sanitizers, especially prepared in the university laboratory for the Chancellor during corona emergency. This event was put up with a fanfare for publicity on social media. Sanitizer is the simplest preparation that a high school student can make in a chemistry laboratory. To our great surprise, this university is the Alma Mater of the only Nobel Laureate Scientist of Pakistan,so one would expect them to have at least done something worthwhile to earn recognition. Thus, it seems appropriate to ask a question: where do our universities stand today?

(To be continued)

(The author is a former Vice Chancellor of the GCU, Lahore, and a Member of Punjab Higher Education Commission)