ABDUL RASHEED AZAD
ISLAMABAD: The next three to four weeks are very critical for Pakistan, said Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Health Dr Zafar Mirza on Wednesday, as he briefed the media about the continuing impact of the coronavirus in the country.
“In the last 24 hours, we have recorded the highest number of deaths from COVID-19, 17, for the third time in Pakistan,” he said, addressing an event held at the Ministry of Health’s office.
“The coming three to four weeks will be critical for Pakistan.”
Dr Mirza said that the spread of communicable diseases in Pakistan was high due to ignorance on the matter.
“We do not pay attention to the fact that communicable diseases are preventable,” he said.
“Diseases spread despite efforts but a lot of things are under our control but since we don’t invest in it, we [ultimately] let diseases spread,” Dr Mirza added.
He said that guidelines were “notoriously neglected” in Pakistan.
Dr Mirza said that the SOPs and protocols “are like words to us and not concepts”.
“I think for the whole of the world, especially the developing world, the health sector will never be the same,” he said, adding that there had never been a moment in human history when there was so much focus on public health, and disease prevention.
Pakistan’s revenues have significantly gone down due to the Covid-19, which is equivalent to almost four percent of the GDP; therefore it is the need of the time to reorganise national health system.
Dr Mirza said Pakistan, including the world, was reeling from the economic impact of an infection.
“Do not take it as a mere infection. It will have implications on our generation and the generations to come,” he said.
“In future medical industry, health ministries, medical education, health financing, governance, health service delivery models all will be reshaped,” Dr Mirza said.
The number of coronavirus cases in the country rose to over 10,000 on Wednesday, with 212 deaths and 2,156 patients recovered.
The province-wise break up of the coronavirus cases in Pakistan is following: Sindh 3,373, Punjab 4,331, Balochistan 536, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP) 1,345, Islamabad 194, Gilgit-Baltistan 283, and Azad Jammu and Kashmir 51.
The first case of the coronavirus was reported in the country on February 26.
Pakistan has taken various measures, similar to other countries in the world, to control the infection from spreading.
These include imposing a partial lockdown across the country, suspending domestic and international flights, and closing its borders.
The virus, which spread from the wet markets in Wuhan, China, last year, has infected over 2.86 million people around the globe, and caused the deaths of almost 180,000.
Meanwhile, Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa also visited the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) where he was briefed about coronavirus-related multi-sectoral situation, implementation of the National Coordination Committee (NCC)’s decisions, projections about likely spread of the disease in Pakistan and support being extended to civil administration against the pandemic.
On the occasion, the COAS said that NCOC’s role in fight against the COVID-19 was commendable. He maintained that the army would continue its support for the civil institution even during the holy month of Ramzan.
The National Command and Operation Centre constituted another committee, which will be headed by SAPM Dr Zafar Mirza, in order to develop a consensus over technical aspects of the response to the coronavirus.
“This will solidify and improve our response,” Mirza further said.
