Social malaise

The recent attempted suicide by a BPS-19 government official is enough to show the dismal state of social security amid political and economic chaos in Pakistan. An official in the Sindh Health Department left a five-page suicide note, which tells us the extent of the corruption that left no option for the doctor but to end his life.
His note highlighted the prevailing menace of corruption. To process even every legal procedure, such as transfer from one area to another, one needs to grease this palm or the other. Besides, pressure is also put on anyone who does not toe the line and appease the masters.
On the one hand, the doctor was struggling to secure a posting at a respectable position, but due to a personal grudge, he was placed at a health facility with minimum resources to the extent that he once even had to pay the sweeper privately with the help of paramedics.
All this while, his own financial position was precarious. Measures like deduction of Rs35,000 for flood relief from his salary by the government took a heavy toll on his finances. With all this happening, the constant pressure from the officials from the relevant quarters drove him near suicide. Overall, heavy debt coupled with relentless mental pressure made a doctor with experience of more than 20 years vulnerable and without any guard. The state is a sovereign guarantor of its citizens’ rights. The right to live is one of the basic human rights.
In a country where members of the educated class are committing suicide, we need to worry. We really do. It should ring alarm bells in the power corridors. The continuum of corrupt practices by government officials portrays a gloomy picture of the actual writ of the state. Immediate and drastic measures are needed without any ambiguity or delay.
FARAH KHAN
HYDERABAD