PM’s aide wants Covid-19 patients not to be treated like criminals

By Muhammad YaseenPublished On 03 Jan 2023

ISLAMABAD: While the tally of confirmed coronavirus cases surged to 2,007 with at least 26 deaths across the country, the government on Tuesday took strict notice of complaints that district administrations and police were treating the patients like criminals.

The government also decided to devise a guideline to make industries and shops operational to support the economy and prevent massive violation of lockdown due to hunger and unavailability of resources. Besides, it claimed that the country by mid-April would achieve the capacity to conduct 900,000 tests.

The decision to devise some mechanism to support the country’s economy while preventing the spread of the virus was taken at a meeting held at the National Command Centre of Covid-19. At the meeting, which was chaired by Prime Minister Imran Khan, it was decided Lt Gen Mehmood-uz-Zaman would head the National Command Centre, said Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Asad Umar while addressing a press conference.

The minister was accompanied by federal Minister for Economic Affairs Hammad Azhar and Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Health Dr Zafar Mirza.

The minister for special initiatives told the media that the government could not afford to freeze the economy. “There is a possibility that the disease spreads with such a pace that people would be left with no resources or they would not get edible items due to a complete lockdown. We don’t want casualties from the spread of virus, but at the same time we don’t want to push people to an extent where they leave their houses due to hunger,” he said.

At the meeting, he said, it was decided to create a balance between preventing the spread of the virus and smooth running of the economy.

He then gave the example of India where the lockdown was announced without any planning with the result that thousands of people thronged railway stations and other public places in a bid to return to their native areas.

Mr Umar told the media that the meeting discussed how to utilise the Rs50 billion fund allocated for utility stores.

Federal Minister for Economic Affairs Hammad Azhar said to provide relief to the masses, the government had reduced petroleum prices.

He also asserted that the federal and provincial governments were on the same page on the issue of Covid-19, apparently in a bid to reject the reported controversy over lockdown that PM Khan repeatedly mentioned in his televised speeches.

Special Assistant to Prime Minister Dr Zafar Mirza told the media about the complaints received from different areas that the patients of Covid-19 were not being treated fairly.

“We have received complaints that the district administrations and police treat the patients like criminals. If people get scared, they will never inform [anyone] about the disease and resultantly the number of cases will start multiplying,” he said.

Dr Mirza said the relevant departments were “directed that Covid-19 patients should be treated just like normal patients with special care.”

He announced that the country by April 15 would not only get capacity to hold 900,000 tests but “also get Synthesizer due to which our testing capacity will increase manifolds”.

Dr Mirza said the virus had already reached 200 countries where it infected around 800,000 patients, with the death toll estimated at 38,000 deaths. However, he added, good news was that around 165,000 patients had recovered.