PM plea for tranquility

Talking to selective journalists, Prime Minister Imran Khan urged mass media and the nation to demonstrate patience and courage for buttressing governments’ efforts to win battle against coronavirus outbreak.

He cautioned that creation of panic and chaos will lead to a situation identical to Italy, making it very difficult for the government to control it then as hospitals in the country doesn’t have sufficient numbers of doctors, nurses, paramedical staff and ventilators if God forbid mass-infection occurs. It merits mention that number of coronavirus infections has risen to 510.

However, only three deaths have been reported so far and the situation is manageable. For compelling economic reasons, the Prime Minister has not approved the option of lockdown. It makes necessary for the people to take seriously health advisory of Dr. Zafar Mirza, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Health and call of the Prime Minister on social distancing and taking other precautionary measures.

On the directives of the Prime Minister, government has taken the initiative to garner the support of opposition to wage collective war against coronavirus pandemic. PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari had announced unflinching support to government in a press conference, before he was contacted by National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaisar. Kudos to young leadership of PPP as he made firm commitment to stand shoulder to shoulder with the Prime Minister in the prevailing coronavirus crisis. Speaker National Assembly has talked to moderate leaders of PML-N, Rana Tanvir Hussain and Khwaja Muhammad who assured support to government. He has also approached JUI (F) parliamentary leader in the National Assembly Maulana Asad Mahmood.

In sharp contrast to the sagacious and sublime show of leadership qualities by PPP Chairman, former Prime Minister and hawkish senior PML-N leader Shahid Khaqan Abbassi had given sharp critique in media talk a few days ago on governments’ sustained efforts for coronavirus containment. Likewise Awami National Party leaders are very pathetically cutting political angles on this global natural calamity.

Aimal Wali Khyber Pukhtunkhwa President of the party and Provincial General Secretary Sardar Hussain Babak in a press statement have lamented over the deficiency of treatment facilities in government hospitals and asked the government to focus on improving indoor healthcare instead of holding press conferences. As a matter of fact it was the bad governance of other two mainstream political parties, in which ANP was coalition partner that rendered healthcare system dilapidated.

ANP shared power with PML-N in Khyber Pukhtunkhwa and center in 1997-99 and was in the driving seat of provincial government in 2008-13, but not a single category-B hospital had been built during these two tenures of government. Similarly, no attention had been paid to expand the health infrastructure in the existing teaching level and district level government hospitals. Although previous PTI government in Khyber Pukhtunkhwa, like the other elected governments, did not build new hospitals but it did expand the health infrastructure in teaching level and district level hospitals. Instead of government bashing leaders of opposition parties should launch awareness among the masses about preventive care against coronavirus.

Government has intensified post infection treatment of coronavirus patients in isolation wards of hospitals and the situation is under control. For the patients of COVID-19 with symptoms of upper respiratory tract infection a combination of two medicines including Chloroquine Phosphate tablets of 500 milligram and Oseltamir tablets of 150 milligram is administered for five day. For COVID-19 patients with Pneumenia complaints a treatment course of Chloroquine Phosphate 500 milligram is administered for 10 days with Darunavir tablets of 80o milligram for two days.

Media reports tell that Pharmacies in major cities of the country are running out of stock of different brands of medicines, containing Chloroquine Phosphate as major ingredient. Pakistan Pharmaceutical Association Senior Vice Chairman Farooq Bukhari has drawn the attention of the government towards short supplies of raw material for manufacturing lifesaving medicines. It is high time that import of raw material for pharmaceutical industry is facilitated by providing monetary and fiscal incentives to this industry.