Sindh MPAs call for medics’ benefits
Sindh Assembly wraps up debate on pandemic efforts
PHOTO: Anadolu Agency/File
KARACHI:
As the Sindh Assembly wrapped up its debate about the provincial government’s handling of the Covid-19 crisis on Friday, MPAs called for giving benefits to healthcare workers - the “real frontline heroes.”
Paying tribute to medical professional, many lawmakers demanded security, risk allowances and the provision of personal protective equipment (PPE) for them.
Addressing the house, Grand Democratic Alliance parliamentary leader Hasnain Mirza repeatedly pleaded to the Sindh government to focus on providing incentives and security to medics.
“On the one hand, we all call them heroes, but on the other, they are out on the streets asking for PPE, salaries, risk allowance and security,” he pointed out, adding that 2,300 nurses had not been paid their salaries for three months.
Mirza further lambasted the Sindh government for its failure to set up an integrated resource management system or a centralised desk to deal with Covid-19 patients. “If a person contracts the virus, where should he go? How will he know which hospital has vacant beds or ventilators?” he questioned.
Meanwhile, Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan’s (MQM) Kunwar Naveed Jameel claimed that his party had offered the Sindh government venues to establish quarantine centres, with the city mayor even offering to hand over all health facilities under his purview for the purpose.
“We realise that in such a pandemic, the government cannot operate on its own and is in dire need of the support of NGOs and philanthropists,” he said, adding that the Sindh government should have diverted funds from the development sector towards its pandemic fund.
He, too, lauded the services of health workers and demanded they be provided risk allowances and security.
‘Reluctant Centre’
Also paying tribute to doctors on the frontlines, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah briefed the house about his government’s efforts to cope with the pandemic in his concluding speech.
“The health department told me there were only 16 ventilators available in Karachi. On February 27, I requested [Indus Hospital CEO] Dr Abdul Bari to procure ventilators for us, because the governmental procurement procedure is lengthy and we could not wait,” he explained.
The CM also pointed out that he had urged the Centre to impose a strict lockdown from March 15 to March 31, but his suggestion was not accepted.
“The decision to impose a lockdown came late and then mixed signals came from the top [the Prime Minister] against it, so we could not get the results we needed,” he added. “The Centre should have taken the lead in supporting the people and provinces, but it appeared to be reluctant.”
The federal government, he claimed, had enhanced its borrowing capacity and received many donations, despite which it had “done nothing,” while the Sindh government had a borrowing limit of only Rs15 billion. He added that the latter had met unnecessary obstacles when it had asked the National Database and Registration Authority for data to help distributing rations too.
The CM also pointed out that Sindh had the highest testing capacity in the country, higher than even the province where the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) had ruled for seven years. “I am surprised that even then, PTI leaders are asking what we have done so far.”
A surprise diagnosis
In an unexpected development, MQM MPA Shahana Ashar, who had been attending the proceedings for the last three days, tested positive for coronavirus, with her diagnosis being announced after the session resumed following the Friday prayer break. She abruptly left the premises on receiving the news.
Attendance at the proceedings had been made conditional on undergoing the Covid-19 test, though it appeared that several MPAs showed up without receiving their reports. Sindh Assembly secretary GM Farooq stated that the results of many lawmakers had not yet been received.
According to MQM’s Jameel, many MPAs from his party were still awaiting results. “The exercise of conducting tests seems to have fizzled out,” he remarked.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 6th, 2020.
As the Sindh Assembly wrapped up its debate about the provincial government’s handling of the Covid-19 crisis on Friday, MPAs called for giving benefits to healthcare workers - the “real frontline heroes.”
Paying tribute to medical professional, many lawmakers demanded security, risk allowances and the provision of personal protective equipment (PPE) for them.
Addressing the house, Grand Democratic Alliance parliamentary leader Hasnain Mirza repeatedly pleaded to the Sindh government to focus on providing incentives and security to medics.
“On the one hand, we all call them heroes, but on the other, they are out on the streets asking for PPE, salaries, risk allowance and security,” he pointed out, adding that 2,300 nurses had not been paid their salaries for three months.
Mirza further lambasted the Sindh government for its failure to set up an integrated resource management system or a centralised desk to deal with Covid-19 patients. “If a person contracts the virus, where should he go? How will he know which hospital has vacant beds or ventilators?” he questioned.
Meanwhile, Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan’s (MQM) Kunwar Naveed Jameel claimed that his party had offered the Sindh government venues to establish quarantine centres, with the city mayor even offering to hand over all health facilities under his purview for the purpose.
“We realise that in such a pandemic, the government cannot operate on its own and is in dire need of the support of NGOs and philanthropists,” he said, adding that the Sindh government should have diverted funds from the development sector towards its pandemic fund.
He, too, lauded the services of health workers and demanded they be provided risk allowances and security.
‘Reluctant Centre’
Also paying tribute to doctors on the frontlines, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah briefed the house about his government’s efforts to cope with the pandemic in his concluding speech.
“The health department told me there were only 16 ventilators available in Karachi. On February 27, I requested [Indus Hospital CEO] Dr Abdul Bari to procure ventilators for us, because the governmental procurement procedure is lengthy and we could not wait,” he explained.
The CM also pointed out that he had urged the Centre to impose a strict lockdown from March 15 to March 31, but his suggestion was not accepted.
“The decision to impose a lockdown came late and then mixed signals came from the top [the Prime Minister] against it, so we could not get the results we needed,” he added. “The Centre should have taken the lead in supporting the people and provinces, but it appeared to be reluctant.”
The federal government, he claimed, had enhanced its borrowing capacity and received many donations, despite which it had “done nothing,” while the Sindh government had a borrowing limit of only Rs15 billion. He added that the latter had met unnecessary obstacles when it had asked the National Database and Registration Authority for data to help distributing rations too.
The CM also pointed out that Sindh had the highest testing capacity in the country, higher than even the province where the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) had ruled for seven years. “I am surprised that even then, PTI leaders are asking what we have done so far.”
A surprise diagnosis
In an unexpected development, MQM MPA Shahana Ashar, who had been attending the proceedings for the last three days, tested positive for coronavirus, with her diagnosis being announced after the session resumed following the Friday prayer break. She abruptly left the premises on receiving the news.
Attendance at the proceedings had been made conditional on undergoing the Covid-19 test, though it appeared that several MPAs showed up without receiving their reports. Sindh Assembly secretary GM Farooq stated that the results of many lawmakers had not yet been received.
According to MQM’s Jameel, many MPAs from his party were still awaiting results. “The exercise of conducting tests seems to have fizzled out,” he remarked.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 6th, 2020.