No system of government, whether a capitalist or socialist, can survive without a workable welfare system in place.
LAHORE: As someone who has just lost a young nephew to dengue, it pains and saddens me to see political parties making a joke out of the disease. At last count, it had killed over 300 people in Punjab, most of them in Lahore. From the looks of it, at least the Punjab government is trying to make an effort to eradicate the killer mosquitoes and provide some sort of medical relief to those who suffer.
The problem for those afflicted with the diseases is compounded by the fact that most people cannot afford to pay for treatment in private medical facilities and the quality of care provided in public-sector hospitals is terrible. No system of government, whether a capitalist or socialist, can survive without a workable welfare system in place for poor masses.
The federal government should have come to the aid of the Punjab government in its fight against the epidemic. Even someone like Imran Khan did not stop from bringing politics into this issue. He should know better since dengue, like cancer, does not have a cure. While the government needs to play its part, the people of Pakistan also need to mend their ways and this needs to begin by them stopping littering and ensuring that no stagnant water is found in and around the places where they live.
Tassadaq Mir
Published in The Express Tribune, October 30th, 2011.
