It is only through collective ownership that we can protect ourselves
KARACHI: The Sindh government has recently announced that almost 800 children in Sindh have been infected with the coronavirus. These numbers are extremely alarming and call for appropriate action at the earliest, or else these numbers will continue to increase rapidly. While the government needs to reassess its policy on the lockdown, the general public must also start acting responsibly.
People have generally failed to understand the health emergency that the country is faced with, demonstrated through the absolute lack of social distancing witnessed during the Eid holidays. From throwing dinner parties to standing in long queues outside retail outlets and restaurants without taking preventive measures, individuals have played a significant role in exposing themselves to the deadly virus. Despite doctors’ continuous requests to stay at home and take precautions, the civil society has refused to cooperate on all the fronts. Some have even questioned the existence of a virus that has already taken the lives of 350,000 people all over the world.
All stakeholders need to collectively devise a workable policy to control the virus. The government needs to issue clear instructions which must be strictly followed by citizens until the pandemic is over or the curve is flattened. Instead of just issuing a list of SOPs, the government must make serious efforts to implement it as well.
Due to the sudden rapid increase in the number of cases this week the government will feel soon the need to re-impose a strict lockdown countrywide for at least two weeks. Everyone in Pakistan needs to understand that our health system does not have the capacity to handle this pandemic. It is only through collective ownership that we can protect ourselves, our elders and our children from this deadly virus.
Nayab Iqbal
Published in The Express Tribune, May 29th, 2020.
Like Opinion & Editorial on Facebook, follow @ETOpEd on Twitter to receive all updates on all our daily pieces.
