By Ayesha Ijaz Khan
As the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak shifts from Asia
to Europe, it is instructive to compare how different countries have reacted to
the global pandemic. In Wuhan, China, where the virulent disease originated
late last year, Dr. Li Wenliang, one of the first doctors to sound the alarm
about the outbreak, was censured and silenced by Chinese police. Had the
government encouraged the transparent communication he had initiated, China
could have put in place the strict quarantine measures it took earlier, thereby
saving many more lives.
According to a study quoted in the Guardian on
11 March 2020, “Research finds huge impact of interventions on spread of
Covid-19,” if China had put in place difficult measures such as early
detection, isolation and travel restrictions a week earlier, 66 percent fewer
people would have been infected, and the same measures brought in three weeks
earlier could have reduced cases by 95 percent.
Nevertheless, if the time China lost by not
being transparent about the disease was a consequence of authoritarianism, so
was the rapid mobilization of its workforce and the construction of two new
hospitals within a span of twelve days to deal with the public health
emergency. Europe and North America remain awestruck by that accomplishment
and acknowledge that it cannot be replicated.
Until recently, it was also unthinkable for
democratic societies to curtail the free movement of their citizens. And
while a robust media and citizen rights mandate that European and American
governments are more transparent about public health issues, on the flip-side,
these governments find it very difficult to impose restrictions curtailing
individual liberty.
But dilly-dallying on strict containment
measures cost Italy dearly, over stretching its national health service to the
point where the fatality percentage rate in Italy far exceeds that of China.
While some in Europe learned lessons from the unfortunate Italian
experience, others, like the UK, have not taken the necessary measures for social
distancing, thus risking lives.
When the most developed countries of the world
are having difficulty coping with this virus, how does a country like Pakistan
with scant resources react?
First, there must be transparency. The
government has to be honest about the number of people it has tested for the
virus. By testing 15,000 people a day, South Korea remains the gold
standard in testing, and those efforts have massively paid off in combating the
virus in that country. Understandably, Pakistan cannot match that but the
Sindh government has done a good job given limited resources. Until
recently however, the Punjab government was reporting zero cases. Testing
is imperative, as the World Health Organisation chief recently said: “You
cannot fight this fire blindfolded.”
It is essential therefore to test not just those with travel
history but also their contacts. This disease is highly contagious and once it
enters a country’s borders, community spread is inevitable. For Zafar
Mirza to claim therefore, as he recently did on television, that all cases in
Pakistan were travelers coming from abroad was not just premature but also
unprofessional. At times like these, it is better to be humble rather
than self-congratulatory.
Second, social distancing measures are a must
but they should be prioritized. Adequate quarantine facilities are more
important than shutting down schools. Moreover, there cannot be
exceptions for religious rituals at this time. Many Muslim countries have
stopped prayers in congregation and asked people to pray at home.
Finally and most importantly, Pakistan will need
to step up its preparedness for public health emergencies.
This has historically been a neglected area and
the PTI government further cut the healthcare budget upon assuming office. When
the whole world is facing an existential threat, it is not the best time to
hang on to petty political grudges with opposition foes or those in the media
who do not toe the line.
Prime Minister Imran Khan addressed the nation
three weeks late, and instead of taking responsibility and concrete action, we
heard pet phrases like “ghabrana nahi hai” (don’t be worried).
Pakistan will need to ramp up its intensive care
facilities in the weeks to come. Training and protective gear for health
workers is equally necessary, as two out of every five infections in China were
found in healthcare providers. Funds recently allocated by the government
to build its own image on the internet, for example, should immediately be
diverted to preparing for this calamity.
The military too can play a constructive role.
Since the coronavirus outbreak, many countries, Canada and India, to name
a couple, have used military bases as quarantine facilities. The US has
called upon the National Guard to deliver food in the New Rochelle containment
area in New York. And in the UK too, there has been talk of the military
stepping up to build field hospitals to cope. Curiously in Pakistan, a
Major General heads the National Institute of Health, but so far the military
has not been asked to help on the scale that it has in other countries.
China has shown us that the coronavirus can be
overcome with discipline and preparedness. Yet not all countries will be
able to manage that, as the case of Iran next door is before us, where cases
continue to surge and deaths continue to mount. The government needs to
get its act together.
(Ayesha Ijaz Khan is a lawyer who lives in
London. She comments frequently on Pakistani politics. Twitter: @ayeshaijazkhan)