Battling the virus — random thoughts
Together we can pull through this one and survive.
The writer is a retired Major General interested in International Relations and Political Sociology. He can be reached at tayyarinam@hotmail.com and tweets @20_Inam
Deaths from the infamous coronavirus around the world have surpassed the number of deaths in China. Time is running out and soon we would face one of the biggest challenges in our lives, battling the yet to be tamed Covid-19. Knowing our self-congratulatory dispensation despite the evidence of utter deceit, it is time we wake up and wake up fully to what Allah has willed. Some random thoughts in formulating a strategy to deal with the pandemic are to follow.
The three-pronged “pre-emptive strategy” to include (a) controlled access to/from the country, (b) quarantine and (c) self-isolation. The “combat strategy” should orchestrate creating and integrating disease-fighting capacity and raising a separate national integrated command or a taskforce — just like Sindh has done — to deal with the situation.
The pre-emptive strategy first. Controlled access to all ports of entry to remain the bedrock of the strategy. All departments and officials responsible to guard the air, land and sea entry points to just — once in a lifetime — act with integrity, professionalism and honesty. The concerned staff be trained immediately through regular crash programmes — if not already done so — to undertake effective screening and retain suspected cases without resorting to undue harshness. The present perfunctory screening is considered no good. Professional advice from the affected countries and WHO should be sought and complied with. Bureaucracy is infamous for ticking the serials, not this time. Likewise, screening for the general public be made easier and affordable.
Capacity enhancement for the quarantine, and that too an effective one, should be ensured by mobilising accommodation, logistics and medical resources. During quarantine, motivation of the detainees be maintained, their cooperation elicited besides taking care of their basic needs in a professional manner. The Taftan border episode leaves a lot to be desired. Correct lessons must be learnt and disseminated. General public be motivated and asked to cooperate.
As far as self-isolation is concerned, the dos and don’ts have been amply highlighted in the cities but rural Pakistan is woefully unprepared given the reach of the government. Restriction on assemblies and other gatherings is a good idea if properly enforced. We also need to re-consider the social side of the infection, involving weddings, other events and passage de rites. The government must enlist the pulpit in this unusual war on disease to reach out to the rural population in particular, besides a massive and sustained campaign over the radio, TV, internet, print and social media and through the traditional system of loud hailing. Messages be composed with care and deliberation to avoid panic and fear. Government functionaries responsible be properly audited for effective performance.
Whereas the pre-emptive strategy would reduce newer infections enabling the medicare system to deal with those infected; chances are that a typical proliferation in the pandemic would overwhelm our woefully inadequate medicare system, hence some thoughts on post-pandemic strategy. The cardinal aspects here are creating new command and control structures, beefing up the existing ones and enhancing capacity in all areas. This pandemic is likely to remain for some time.
A multi-ministry Integrated National Medicare Force (INMF) be created incorporating the relevant ministries and military and private healthcare facilities. A better articulation would be dividing Punjab along the existing Corps boundaries and fighting the pandemic through the provincial Corps, Rangers and Frontier Corps in Sindh, Balochistan and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P). All national resources be mobilised on a war footing to beef up existing resources.
The civil administration in collaboration with the INMF at local levels should earmark hotels, hostels, public/private buildings, grounds (for tent cities), etc to be turned into makeshift isolation areas. The Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Authority (ERRA), non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and other charities, besides the general public, be encouraged to participate in this exercise by provisioning. The government may be surprised to see the generous spirit of Pakistan. Judicious and timely funds allocation be ensured.
Troops, students — especially medical students — and volunteers be put through crash training programmes to deal with the surge, as and when needed, focusing on the most vulnerable, the elderly and the infirm. The civil administration through the INMF should ensure uninterrupted supply of items of daily need by repairing supply chains, as and when broken, and by providing alternative workers. The military system of chain of command up to at least four alternatives be notified, to replace an ailing team leader/worker, etc. We must remember that despite everything, life would and should go on. Our government cannot lock down cities like China for example, so it has to fight through the disease.
This is no time to waste on futile and endless political debates so the media be enlisted to educate, guide, advise and inspire people. An important talking point for the media is to dissuade and expose the citizenry from rushing to the superstores and ATMs, hoarding supplies at the cost of those with irregular and meagre incomes and buying and selling things at bloated prices. The media can also be immensely useful to dispel fear. It can capitalise on this opportunity for general social reformation.
The INMF should also mobilise and enhance production capacity of medicines, protective equipment and other needed items, as the world awaits a vaccine and/or the virus subsides. In doing so, care should be taken to ensure medicare to patients suffering from other diseases. Cooperation and coordination with other countries, in particular SAARC countries, be ensured by exchanging needed equipment and trained manpower, especially learning from China, Hong Kong and Singapore. As other matters of government would naturally take a back seat, national focus on the fight can be easily maintained.
The provincial governments are to ensure inter-provincial flow of goods and services after necessary protocols are in place. Locking down everything and service interruptions have their own negatives and should be carefully weighed and only undertaken, if robust alternatives are in place. This is no time to emplace ill-conceived plans based on knee-jerk reactions, prone to innumerable corrections. We have had plenty of lead time and the government machinery has to match its words with deeds. All government departments need to be fully mobilised, diligent and professional in their approach, instead of the traditional lackluster orientation.
This pandemic should fortify our belief in the All Powerful. This is just a fraction of a fraction of His powers and fury. After tying the camel, we should reflect, re-consider and reform. Epidemics and pandemics are not new to humans and they go like they come. Together we can pull through this one and survive.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 19th, 2020.
The three-pronged “pre-emptive strategy” to include (a) controlled access to/from the country, (b) quarantine and (c) self-isolation. The “combat strategy” should orchestrate creating and integrating disease-fighting capacity and raising a separate national integrated command or a taskforce — just like Sindh has done — to deal with the situation.
The pre-emptive strategy first. Controlled access to all ports of entry to remain the bedrock of the strategy. All departments and officials responsible to guard the air, land and sea entry points to just — once in a lifetime — act with integrity, professionalism and honesty. The concerned staff be trained immediately through regular crash programmes — if not already done so — to undertake effective screening and retain suspected cases without resorting to undue harshness. The present perfunctory screening is considered no good. Professional advice from the affected countries and WHO should be sought and complied with. Bureaucracy is infamous for ticking the serials, not this time. Likewise, screening for the general public be made easier and affordable.
Capacity enhancement for the quarantine, and that too an effective one, should be ensured by mobilising accommodation, logistics and medical resources. During quarantine, motivation of the detainees be maintained, their cooperation elicited besides taking care of their basic needs in a professional manner. The Taftan border episode leaves a lot to be desired. Correct lessons must be learnt and disseminated. General public be motivated and asked to cooperate.
As far as self-isolation is concerned, the dos and don’ts have been amply highlighted in the cities but rural Pakistan is woefully unprepared given the reach of the government. Restriction on assemblies and other gatherings is a good idea if properly enforced. We also need to re-consider the social side of the infection, involving weddings, other events and passage de rites. The government must enlist the pulpit in this unusual war on disease to reach out to the rural population in particular, besides a massive and sustained campaign over the radio, TV, internet, print and social media and through the traditional system of loud hailing. Messages be composed with care and deliberation to avoid panic and fear. Government functionaries responsible be properly audited for effective performance.
Whereas the pre-emptive strategy would reduce newer infections enabling the medicare system to deal with those infected; chances are that a typical proliferation in the pandemic would overwhelm our woefully inadequate medicare system, hence some thoughts on post-pandemic strategy. The cardinal aspects here are creating new command and control structures, beefing up the existing ones and enhancing capacity in all areas. This pandemic is likely to remain for some time.
A multi-ministry Integrated National Medicare Force (INMF) be created incorporating the relevant ministries and military and private healthcare facilities. A better articulation would be dividing Punjab along the existing Corps boundaries and fighting the pandemic through the provincial Corps, Rangers and Frontier Corps in Sindh, Balochistan and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P). All national resources be mobilised on a war footing to beef up existing resources.
The civil administration in collaboration with the INMF at local levels should earmark hotels, hostels, public/private buildings, grounds (for tent cities), etc to be turned into makeshift isolation areas. The Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Authority (ERRA), non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and other charities, besides the general public, be encouraged to participate in this exercise by provisioning. The government may be surprised to see the generous spirit of Pakistan. Judicious and timely funds allocation be ensured.
Troops, students — especially medical students — and volunteers be put through crash training programmes to deal with the surge, as and when needed, focusing on the most vulnerable, the elderly and the infirm. The civil administration through the INMF should ensure uninterrupted supply of items of daily need by repairing supply chains, as and when broken, and by providing alternative workers. The military system of chain of command up to at least four alternatives be notified, to replace an ailing team leader/worker, etc. We must remember that despite everything, life would and should go on. Our government cannot lock down cities like China for example, so it has to fight through the disease.
This is no time to waste on futile and endless political debates so the media be enlisted to educate, guide, advise and inspire people. An important talking point for the media is to dissuade and expose the citizenry from rushing to the superstores and ATMs, hoarding supplies at the cost of those with irregular and meagre incomes and buying and selling things at bloated prices. The media can also be immensely useful to dispel fear. It can capitalise on this opportunity for general social reformation.
The INMF should also mobilise and enhance production capacity of medicines, protective equipment and other needed items, as the world awaits a vaccine and/or the virus subsides. In doing so, care should be taken to ensure medicare to patients suffering from other diseases. Cooperation and coordination with other countries, in particular SAARC countries, be ensured by exchanging needed equipment and trained manpower, especially learning from China, Hong Kong and Singapore. As other matters of government would naturally take a back seat, national focus on the fight can be easily maintained.
The provincial governments are to ensure inter-provincial flow of goods and services after necessary protocols are in place. Locking down everything and service interruptions have their own negatives and should be carefully weighed and only undertaken, if robust alternatives are in place. This is no time to emplace ill-conceived plans based on knee-jerk reactions, prone to innumerable corrections. We have had plenty of lead time and the government machinery has to match its words with deeds. All government departments need to be fully mobilised, diligent and professional in their approach, instead of the traditional lackluster orientation.
This pandemic should fortify our belief in the All Powerful. This is just a fraction of a fraction of His powers and fury. After tying the camel, we should reflect, re-consider and reform. Epidemics and pandemics are not new to humans and they go like they come. Together we can pull through this one and survive.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 19th, 2020.