Coronavirus becoming litmus test to judge one’s affluencehttps://bmcinfectdis.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12879-019-4403-7
Pak Chronicle Report
Islamabad
Coronavirus has also made his presence felt by causing 1,483 deaths till to date in the country since its outbreak over here in February.
Besides being a viral disease it is also becoming a litmus test to differentiate the persons who may be categorized as ‘haves and have-nots.’
Generally all those persons who fall into the first category of ‘haves’ and they do have resources of solid income may be seen on social media asking authorities to take further strong actions in the country.
However, on the other hand there are people who are actually in majority and they absolutely differ to this point of view of further imposing lockdown.
This coronavirus has already deprived downtrodden people a lot financially and the government is not in position to compensate them.
Basically these persons are daily wagers, small scale business proprietors and jobless persons. Ironically these persons don’t have any sort of ‘say’ in relevant affairs. However, in their humble capacity they are found appealing to the government, mostly on social media, to review its policy on the situation and allow them to do routine business of the life.
Coronavirus is a reality and there is no doubt about it. However, there are other realities too which can’t be ignored.
The federal and provincial governments have employed very effective measures to count coronavirus cases in the country. That’s a very good and healthy sign because strategy may only be devised to get out of any crisis when facts and figures are in place.
The phenomenon of Hepatitis-C has been affected the citizens for the past many years. However, it was never thought to compile data in this connection. The mainstream media never run exclusive programmes on it.
According to some estimates one in every 20 Pakistanis is already infected with Hepatitis-C. Pakistan has the second largest number of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections globally.
However, this issue may never get attention of the government like so many other issues.
Pakistan’s rate of deaths of women during childbirth is almost incomparable in the world. According to a report of The News International every year 14,000 women die during childbirth. However, no attempt has been made to control this issue. Mostly these women die due to improper health facilities. This dilemma also goes unchecked like many other matters. There is a long list of as such issues which need the attention of authorities concerned.
In the present circumstances the presence of Covid-19 seems to be rescuing authorities concerned of their due responsibilities towards the citizens.
Before outbreak of Covid-19 in Pakistan the federal government was facing extreme criticism due to its failure to provide relief to the general public in many areas. Its excessive U-turns had become a dilemma. It was facing strong criticism due to its economic policies. However, after the outbreak of the pandemic now it coronavirus which seems to be overpowering every other thing. More importantly the government is not in position even to provide hand sanitizers and facemask to its citizens who can’t’ afford luxurious items like it.
The government of Sindh was badly struggling to control stray dogs issue in the province before the outbreak of the virus. It was also facing criticism due to its failure to remove garbage from Karachi. However, now all other accounts of failures have been closed and now it is coronavirus which matters only.
Majority of the government employees are currently enjoying vacations like status nowadays on account of coronavirus and they are being given salaries and other perks and privileges. They got no issue as when this crisis would end. Others who got enough financial resources keep postings their pictures on Facebook and on twitter in which they may be seen enjoying this period in self-isolation.
Some journalists of mainstream media who have secured and steady jobs everyday try to bring exclusive stuff which aims to make the government bound to take further strong measures. Lockdown the cities is the call of the day and basic gist of these strong measures. No one is bothered as poverty and unfair distribution of resources is the main dilemma of the country and coronavirus had almost destroyed the section of the society which fall in havenots category.
One may avoid contracting coronavirus by adopting self-isolation and social distancing method. The statistics with regard to coronavirus in Pakistan maintains that it caused deaths to 2.1 percent of its victims. Already 75 percent of confirmed cases have recovered.
However, currently there is no tool available to eradicate poverty in the country in coming months or years.
The figure of persons who are living behind the poverty line is swelling day by day and ‘isolation’ to ‘self’ of the rulers to this account is the main reason.
Ends
