With the number of cases of covid-19 infections approaching the peak of the first wave last year, one would have expected the government, any government, not just one which would has to face an election, to take action, instead of its coronavirus-positive head who should be quarantining, holding a meeting of spokespersons to plan for a hearing that was postponed. The SAPM for Health Services, Dr Faisal Sultan, blamed the surge in cases on people failing to observe SOPs. He did not say what was the result of people who had tested positive ignoring the SOPs for quarantine, perhaps because that would have led to criticism of his boss, Prime Minister Imran Khan, whose own quarantine has not exactly been exemplary.
Instead of blaming people for the situation for not following SOPs, the government should accept that its own failure to impose strict lockdowns has led to people becoming relaxed and casual about those SOPs. It should not be forgotten that people judge the seriousness of the situation from the seriousness with which the government enforces lockdowns. The policy of ‘smart lockdowns’ does not really seem to have worked, and with the more infectious UK variant spreading in the Subcontinent, the government needs to work even harder.
Another dimension the government seems to be neglecting is that of getting people vaccinated. Pakistan is facing a spiraling positivity rate, combined with a low rate of vaccinations. Even within the region, where the comparison is with countries with similar poverty, deficiencies in healthcare systems and problems, the country is lagging behind. A more vigorous vaccination programme is needed, and the government should realize that much of the boost it got from Mr Khan’s very public vaccination was washed out when he got infected later. Still, this only proved that vaccination was not a cure, but a preventative only if the person was not already infected. However, to vaccinate more people, there have to be vaccines. The government should import them and distribute them, rather than have Dr Sultan announce that vaccines were being imported and would be available soon. The government should realise that its response to the covid-19 crisis is not adequate, and that it will not be enough to say that people need to be more careful observing the SOPs. There is much more that must be done.
