The country just like rest of the world is facing its biggest challenge ever in the form of coronavirus outbreak. The government has taken a volley of steps, some timely and others late, to contain the spread of the disease since its outbreak. After a long blanket lockdown, the government has gradually opened most the sectors of our economy as well as road, rail and air travels. Currently, educational institutions, cinemas, marriage halls and few others are closed only. At present, the government is managing the spread of the virus through smart lockdowns in high-risk areas of selected cities across country.
As the country races against time in its fight against coronavirus, the unwavering commitment of the government and the unflinching resolve of its national institutions have created hopes that Pakistan will be able to win the war against the pandemic. The next few weeks are, however, crucial for Pakistan’s coronavirus battle. If the cases continue to exponentially multiply, according to government estimates, Pakistan may see as much as 1.2 million cases by end of July. This battle has several prongs, hence business as usual will not work. These are extraordinary times, and extraordinary steps are required to defeat this monster.
This is the time to take stock of the situation. As our government and national institutions are trying their utmost to tackle the challenges unheard of before, good planning and management can save many lives even with limited resources. Here are a few suggestions for the government to consider as it scrambles to manage the biggest ever challenge of the country.
In the recent days, we have seen multiple reports of private hospitals charging exorbitant rates from coronavirus patients. The Ministry of Health needs to carryout necessary valuation and ensure uniform implementation of rates at private hospitals across country.
With huge increase in number of infections, our health system has come under burden and more patients are now requiring oxygen or are on ventilators. In this situation, reports of shortage of oxygen in several cities has been witnessed. The government needs to ensure availability of oxygen on war footing and also take stringent action against hoarders of this life-saving commodity who are shamelessly involved in such a callous practice amid this national crisis.
Simplifying of import registration and regulatory pathways for procurement of critical medicines and other medical equipment is also need of the time. The government needs to ensure that urgent medical supplies being imported from abroad or developed at the local level do not face any bottlenecks at the import of registration stages. Moreover, a centralized online management software linked with all private and government hospitals must be made operational at the National Command & Operation Centre (NCOC) for real-time forecasting of available and required medical supplies so that timely steps could be taken in case of any shortage.
Close coordination and unity is the foremost requirement of any national-level activity as disjointed efforts may lead to paralysis at the execution level. In this regard, consensus must be developed on issue of testing regime of inbound flights. Since Pakistan has already opened its inbound air traffic and also plans to bring back thousands of Pakistanis stuck in several countries, a uniform policy must be implemented at all airports in all provinces for screening, testing and handling of all inbound passengers.
Since the government has decided to enforce smart lockdowns in targeted areas instead of a blanket lockdown, the relevant district or city administrations need to prepare contingency plans to deal with the situations arising out of such restrictions. Such plans also need to be devised at the provincial levels.
With thousands of new cases emerging on a daily basis, our health facilities have come under immense pressure. The government needs to evaluate human resource requirements of all hospitals across country and try to bridge any gaps at the earliest.
People in Pakistan general take coronavirus lightly and most of the times do not adhere to safety guidelines devised by the government to stem the spread of the virus. In such a situation, massive campaigning at the grassroots level is need of the time. The government may consider activating village committees for active awareness campaigns in remote areas regarding social distancing and other preventive measures.
The challenge is huge. But, at the same time, it has also provided a rare opportunity to the nation to get united and wage a collective war against the monster. Whole humanity is at stake right now and only through collective efforts, we can achieve the goal of saving precious lives. Through joint and coordinated efforts, the country will surely be able to win the war against the pandemic.