During the troubled times of global Covid-19, a painful debate on a choice between ‘life and livelihood’ is widespread. Various questions are being posed. What is more important to a person; staying healthy or being able to feed the family? What is more important to a nation; having a healthy population or ensuring economic growth? In fact, health and economy are not mutually exclusive; rather they are interdependent.
Epidemiologists and medical experts recommended a complete lockdown till the country could move past peak infection point, so that the disease transmission could be contained. The economists wanted easing lockdown to mitigate economic burden, especially on the poor. When policy makers all over the world were busy in “either-or” conundrum, Prime Minister of Pakistan adopted a tightrope option to strike a harmonious balance between public safety and economic stimulus. Throughout the crisis, government of Pakistan has remained focused on protecting both life and livelihood.
Undeterred opposition of the Prime Minister to strict lockdown has enabled the country to ebb away utter economic disaster being faced by the developed world and the South Asian neighbors. Pakistan has adopted a policy of smart lockdown that allows economic activity with SOPs. Pakistan is one of the pioneers of this approach in handling the pandemic successfully.
Having a steep decline from about 6800 coronavirus patients a day in mid-June to 1209 in last 24 hours, the world is heaping praise on Pakistan’s smart lockdown strategy, primarily focusing a balance between lives and livelihood. Out of 1844926 tests, Pakistan has reported 271887 confirmed cases, with 236596 recoveries and 5787 deaths. Based on data of July 20, Imperial College of London in its latest study has placed Pakistan at 4th position for coronavirus reproduction. Pakistan has secured 0.73 rate while countries achieving a rating below 1, are regarded as the best in their efforts against Covid-19 challenge. Portugal and Germany ranking above Pakistan are following the very smart lockdown approach to block the resurgence of coronavirus infections.
Let us highlight certain salient features of Pakistan’s smart lockdown strategy that reaps dividends for maintaining a balance between lives and livelihood.
A. National Command and Operation Center (NCOC) was established in Islamabad in order to synergize and articulate unified national efforts against coronavirus. Serving as one window operation, NCOC implements the decisions of National Coordination Committee on Covid-19. NCOC collects, collates, analyses and processes information from digital inputs and human intelligence tapping national and international sources.
B. In banking and financial sector, measures like deferment in repayment of loans for one year, reduction in margin call from 30% to 10% in bank financing against listed shares, extension in regulatory limit from Rs.125 million to Rs.180 million in financing to SMEs and financing at reduced rate of 3% for 5 years to purchase equipment for detecting, containing and treating the coronavirus, were taken very timely.
C. In order to make available essential food items to the vulnerable social sections at concessional rates, a subsidy of Rs.50 billion was provided to the Utility Stores Corporation.
D. GOP launched a unique Ehsas Emergency Cash Program that provided financial assistance of Rs.1200/- (US$75) each to around 12 million families adversely affected by the crisis. Merit and transparency were basics of the program.
E. A bold decision was made to open up construction sector to create economic activity in 40 related industries, subject to strict enforcement of anti-COVID standard operating procedures (SOPs).
F. The government also deferred monthly and quarterly fuel adjustments in the electricity bills of the consumers for three months to give relief in distressed time.
G. Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan approved local manufacturing of Chloroquine phosphate active pharmaceutical ingredient used to treat SARS-CoV2 infected patients.
H. Other major decisions were made to allow clinical trials of plasma therapy and locally made ventilators for treating critically ill patients. Permission was also given to manufacture sanitizers in the country.
I. Then, a cash assistance of Rs.200 million to the daily wagers of industrial sector was disbursed who were laid off during the pandemic.
J. Another practical manifestation of life and livelihood equilibrium was witnessed when government engaged unemployed labour in plantation of trees in various parts of the country.
K. One more initiative is Corona Tiger Force (CTF) program with registration of over 750000 youth across the country to work as volunteers and help the government in providing relief to the poor if the situation worsened.
L. Above measures enabled the government to implement smart lockdown with over 700 hotspots in various cities. Test, trace and quarantine (TTQ) strategy helped in identifying the hotspots and containing the virus. Besides, special isolation hospitals, infection treatment centers and laboratories have also been set up.
Consequently, Pakistan having a population of 220 million is able to stem the wide scale hazard of Covid-19. Opposed to the blanket lockdown, smart lockdown protects from the worst economic scenario where millions of masses are already below poverty line. This balanced approach by Pakistan has received global recognition. Bloomberg considers smart lockdown as the right approach till the advent of vaccine. Nobel laureate Michael Levitt had earlier warned in May that strict lockdown could have caused more deaths than it saved. Normandy Chair for Peace writes to PM Khan, lauding concerted efforts how Pakistan is “recovering from the crisis with dignity”.
The writer is Country Manager of a Pakistani bank in Kazakhstan, with interest in Central Asian studies. He can be reached out at [email protected]