Overwhelmed vaccine centres

Pakistan finally manages to cross the 30 million vaccination mark, despite hiccups

Even though there have been more than a few hiccups along the way, Pakistan has finally managed to cross the 30 million vaccination mark. It seems that the government has finally found a cunning solution to the hesitancy problem. Tell people that they and their family members might die after contracting the deadly coronavirus and no one bats an eye, but threaten to block their mobile sim cards along with their social media accounts and everyone starts thronging vaccination centres as if their life depends on it. It is deeply lamentable that the government has to resort to such coercive measures. Unfortunately, such tactics have always fared well when trying to convince us stubborn Pakistanis.

The resulting turmoil that ensued was particularly dire in Karachi, under the grip of the Delta variant. After waiting in endless queues outside the Expo Centre, the maddened crowd broke into the vaccination building and started vandalising the property. Similar but less intense situations were witnessed in many other centers across the city where people were openly flouting SOPs. Here, the management is equally complicit because of their cavalier attitude at enforcing SOPs and maintaining order. The sorry state of affairs blatantly points at the negligence of the Sindh government for not having enough foresight to predict such an influx. Lack of awareness regarding a large number of vaccination centres established across the metropolis, coupled with the already deplorable state of hospitals that adds to the trust deficit, led to the citizens rushing to the Expo Centre. Moreover, a shortage of vaccine is also being reported in many centres as supply is not able to meet demand.

The myopic leaders of Sindh must conceptualise a year-long plan, calculate the number of vaccines required and chart out a proper distribution strategy, while the federal government must provide enough vaccines considering the situation in the province. At the moment, the deployment of more security forces at vaccination centres is a must in order to strictly maintain law and order.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 5^th, 2021.

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