Ignorance galore

While the world is striving hard to fight the Covid-19 outbreak, our approach to dealing with the virus has remained more dangerous than the virus itself. Lately, the federal leadership’s complacency over the number of infected people and resultant fatalities in Pakistan is the proof. The more illogical and alarming is comparing Pakistan with developed countries like the US, the UK, Italy, France, etc. It is worth noting that to ensure the healthcare of its citizens, the US government annually spends about $11,000 per person. In contrast, what Pakistan spends on healthcare is just unmentionable.

The government’s current strategy of lifting the lockdown, without ensuring the public’s compliance with SOPs, has exposed people to more risk of contracting the virus. Permitting day-time hours to buy and shop makes people swarm at the markets. Already, much damage has been inflicted by the government’s ill-organized relief package to the underprivileged. It is also disheartening to observe the kind of content being fed to the nation by our mainstream electronic media. Not many channels invite to medical experts who could -- being qualified and capable of professional advice -- educate the laypersons on the specifics of the virus. Until it happens, one balks at the practice of turning the medical emergency into lethal ignorance.

Riaz Mahar

Sukkur