After crossing the coronovirus tally of 220,000 cases in June the World Health Organisation (WHO) has named Pakistan among the 10 countries in the world who are reporting the highest number of new cases of COVID-19. The country recorded its biggest surge in coronavirus infections last month amid reported deaths of more than 4,500.
Prime Minister Imran Khan repeatedly asked the international community to consider writing off loans to developing countries such as Pakistan to help them deal with the COVID-19 pandemic. The country is required to make $27.8 billion worth of public debt-related payments to its international creditors that includes $23 billion principal loans and another $4.6 billion on account of interest payments from July 2020 to June 2023. The $27.8 billion amount makes 35 per cent of the country’s external public debt, including that of the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The official statistics show that the country is scheduled to return $9.8 billion in fiscal year 2020-21, $8.8 billion in FY 2021-22 and $8.3 billion in FY 2022-23.
Mr Khan’s government is boasting over saving the country from “complete and extended lockdown”. But at the same time the government is crying over the violations by the people of its standard operating procedures (SOPs) for curbing the spread of the coronavirus. The government continues to impose “smart lockdowns” in virus hotspots around the country as opposed to a complete lockdown. It believes that the country’s economy cannot afford imposing a complete lockdown hitting the poor hardest.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has already projected economic recession for Pakistan in wake of the coronavirus pandemic. The IMF forecast country’s consumer price index (CPI) inflation to rise by 11.1 percent this year before easing to 8 percent next year. It also estimated the current account deficit at 1.7 percent of GDP in 2019-20, which will increase to 2.4 percent next fiscal year. The international lender has projected the country’s unemployment rate at 4.5 percent in FY20 and 5.1 percent the current fiscal year due to the COVID-19 related lockdowns in the country.
The Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) repeatedly called for a strict enforcement of the lockdown to prevent congregations of all kinds to contain the spread of COVID-19 pandemic. The government, however, seems absolutely confused from the very outbreak of the pandemic earlier this year about how to fight the coronavirus to prevent its spread in the country with over 220 million population.
The Imperial College London’s algorithm cautioned that Pakistan will reach the peak on August 10, on which day around 80,000 deaths will occur. It warned that 2,229,000 deaths could occur in the country from COVID-19 by January 26, 2021 if the lockdown was not imposed.
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The Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) repeatedly called for a strict enforcement of the lockdown to prevent congregations of all kinds to contain the spread of COVID-19 pandemic. The doctors contend that the ease in lockdown further deteriorated the situation with exponential rise in COVID-19 cases.
The national health security is increasingly threatened in Pakistan mainly due to population growth, rising urbanisation and environmental pollution, according to Economic Survey 2019-20. The survey report shows that life expectancy of 67.1 years is the lowest in Pakistan as compared to other countries of the region. Life expectancy in India is 67.1 years, 72.3 years in Bangladesh, 76.8 years in Sri Lanka and 76.7 years in China.
Similarly, the infant mortality rate (IMR) is 57.2 per 1,000 live births in Pakistan, as compared to 29.9 in India, 25.1 in Bangladesh, only 6.4 in Sri Lanka and 7.4 in China.
WHO has advised the government to enhance daily testing capacity to 50,000 to assess the actual prevalence of coronavirus across the country. The WHO’s advice has come at a time when Khan government is gloating over saving the country from “complete and extended lockdown“. But at the same time the government is crying over the violations by the people of its standard operating procedures (SOPs) for curbing the spread of the coronavirus and warning a strict action against the violator while critics say that the government still seems making bout of paranoia and has been absolutely confused from the very outbreak of the pandemic earlier this year about how to fight the coronavirus to prevent its spread in the country of 220 million population.
Pakistani officials just keep on issuing warning regarding the current trajectory of the spread of COVID-19 in the country, saying that the confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus could reach 1 million to 1.2m by the end of July. Practically, the government has thrown the ball into the people’s court to save them from the coronavirus by acting upon the SOPs. What the officials are actually doing is just urging the people to “get serious” and highlight the importance of wearing face masks and practising social distancing to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus. On the other hand, the COVID-19 cases are witnessing a spike on daily basis and the government continues to play the mantra of smart lockdown, say the critics.
Coronavirus outbreak in a third world country like Pakistan with inadequate health care facilities, cash-strapped government and governance issues could be a disaster. The virus is playing havoc with the economies of developing countries. This is exactly what we are witnessing in Pakistan. The government is actually trying to teach the people living with coronavirus, as the country’s poor, daily wagers and deprived sections of society cannot afford to stay at their homes. The cash-strapped country cannot afford economic recession due to the pandemic. These are the bitter realities and a realistic approach needs to be adopted to fight the pandemic in the country.
Proving its all- weather friendship with Pakistan, China is, however, extending great help to the country to grapple with the COVID-19 pandemic. From ventilators, testing kits, gear, masks and other medical supplies to medical personnel, China is strengthening Pakistan’s capacity to fight COVID-19 pandemic.