Just like the rest of the country, Coronavirus has been the center of attention in Balochistan. The provincial government is struggling to deal with the crisis and is clearly ill prepared for the challenge. The quarantine in Taftan and the blame-game which followed is proof of this. However, despite the major capacity issues, it appears the Coronavirus situation is still under control in Balochistan.
As of Wednesday, Balochistan has confirmed 158 cases of Coronavirus, of which 17 are people who did not have any foreign travel history. This suggests local transmission of the virus. The government has so far tested 1,934 people and 92 percent tested negative. More than 350 people suspected of getting in contact with Coronavirus patients have been quarantined at various places.
Moreover, the government has mobilised its meagre resources to set up isolation rooms and quarantine centers all across the province. According to the Daily Situation Report of Coronavirus in Balochistan, the government has set up 1,753 isolation rooms for confirmed patients and 8,054 quarantine spots have also been arranged for suspected patients. These arrangements should be enough to deal with the crisis in the next coming months if the virus follows its existing spread trend.
Under pressure from the public and the opposition, the provincial government has opened up its kitty to spend funds on healthcare during the crisis. Rs500 million have been allocated to improve the quarantine centers in Quetta and Taftan. Chief Minister Jam Kamal also announced allocation of Rs2 billion in a package for those daily wage earners who have lost their source of livelihood due to the crisis.
Despite these efforts, management problems are creating troubles for the frontline fighters against COVID-19 – the doctors and paramedical staff. Till Wednesday, majority of doctors in hospitals of Quetta did not have protective kits, which puts them at great risk of contracting Coronavirus. By Wednesday, five doctors had contracted this virus, which triggered a wave of fear among medical professionals.
The government claims that it is doing its best to provide safety kits and masks to all the medical staff. “We did not have the kits with us already because we were not prepared for such a crisis,” said an official of the Health Department requesting anonymity. He added that the government had placed an order for the purchase of much needed equipment from China. “We hope to receive the protective equipment soon,” he said.
The government has taken scores of decisions to deal with this emergency situation. It has empowered field officers and sent more officers to places where intensity of the crisis is greater. The government also made a controversial decision last week. It transferred more than 10 officers who were involved in dealing with the crisis. These transfers proved to be disruptive for the efforts of the government.
Even people within the government were surprised by this decision. A well-placed source in the provincial government, who requested anonymity, termed these transfers as an expression of non-seriousness at a time of a serious crisis. He further added that these transfers will not only jeopardise the crisis management approach of the government but will also endanger people of those areas.
Balochistan High Court was quick to take notice of this disruptive decision. The court asked the provincial government to reverse this decision and make sure that all field officers continue to work in their place of posting. Now, the provincial government is left with no choice but to obey the instructions of the court. This begs the question: why did the government make this decision in the first place?
Balochistan followed Sindh in announcing a province-wide lockdown from March 24 to April 7. In this two-week-long lockdown, all markets, shops and offices will be closed except the essential services such as grocery stores and pharmacies. Public transport within the cities and inter-city transport has also been suspended. Only goods supply vehicles are allowed in and out of the province to meet the needs of the people. This lockdown has brought life to a standstill in the province and all major cities present a deserted look.
People are still not following social distancing guidelines. There are still crowds at some places which are not necessary and youngsters are using this time as holidays for recreation. Still, this lockdown has succeeded in preventing a massive outbreak of the virus in Balochistan. This province is not facing the same situation as the Punjab and Sindh, where one infected person is affecting entire neighbourhoods.
The section of a society facing the brunt of the lockdown is the daily wage earners. Due to the lockdown, they have lost their source of livelihood and hence they cannot put food on the table for their families. The provincial government is contemplating various plans to assist such people during this period. So far, the government has failed to execute any of its plans and these vulnerable people are left seeking distribution of ration by some philanthropists and volunteer groups. Although the efforts of these philanthropists are noble they cannot fill the vacuum of a major package by the government to help the needy people.
As the lockdown enters the second week in the province, people find it hard to keep up with the new reality. However, this situation is expected to continue for now to ensure that no room is provided for the spread of the virus. The current arrangement of Lockdown needs to be more effective, however, Balochistan cannot afford a curfew, which some government circles are hinting. In any case, there is no quick escape for people of Balochistan from this crisis.
The writer is a journalist and researcher based in Quetta. He can be reached on Twitter @iAdnanAamir
As of Wednesday, Balochistan has confirmed 158 cases of Coronavirus, of which 17 are people who did not have any foreign travel history. This suggests local transmission of the virus. The government has so far tested 1,934 people and 92 percent tested negative. More than 350 people suspected of getting in contact with Coronavirus patients have been quarantined at various places.
Moreover, the government has mobilised its meagre resources to set up isolation rooms and quarantine centers all across the province. According to the Daily Situation Report of Coronavirus in Balochistan, the government has set up 1,753 isolation rooms for confirmed patients and 8,054 quarantine spots have also been arranged for suspected patients. These arrangements should be enough to deal with the crisis in the next coming months if the virus follows its existing spread trend.
Under pressure from the public and the opposition, the provincial government has opened up its kitty to spend funds on healthcare during the crisis. Rs500 million have been allocated to improve the quarantine centers in Quetta and Taftan. Chief Minister Jam Kamal also announced allocation of Rs2 billion in a package for those daily wage earners who have lost their source of livelihood due to the crisis.
Despite these efforts, management problems are creating troubles for the frontline fighters against COVID-19 – the doctors and paramedical staff. Till Wednesday, majority of doctors in hospitals of Quetta did not have protective kits, which puts them at great risk of contracting Coronavirus. By Wednesday, five doctors had contracted this virus, which triggered a wave of fear among medical professionals.
Balochistan has confirmed 158 cases of Coronavirus, of which 17 are people who did not have any foreign travel history
The government claims that it is doing its best to provide safety kits and masks to all the medical staff. “We did not have the kits with us already because we were not prepared for such a crisis,” said an official of the Health Department requesting anonymity. He added that the government had placed an order for the purchase of much needed equipment from China. “We hope to receive the protective equipment soon,” he said.
The government has taken scores of decisions to deal with this emergency situation. It has empowered field officers and sent more officers to places where intensity of the crisis is greater. The government also made a controversial decision last week. It transferred more than 10 officers who were involved in dealing with the crisis. These transfers proved to be disruptive for the efforts of the government.
Even people within the government were surprised by this decision. A well-placed source in the provincial government, who requested anonymity, termed these transfers as an expression of non-seriousness at a time of a serious crisis. He further added that these transfers will not only jeopardise the crisis management approach of the government but will also endanger people of those areas.
Balochistan High Court was quick to take notice of this disruptive decision. The court asked the provincial government to reverse this decision and make sure that all field officers continue to work in their place of posting. Now, the provincial government is left with no choice but to obey the instructions of the court. This begs the question: why did the government make this decision in the first place?
Balochistan followed Sindh in announcing a province-wide lockdown from March 24 to April 7. In this two-week-long lockdown, all markets, shops and offices will be closed except the essential services such as grocery stores and pharmacies. Public transport within the cities and inter-city transport has also been suspended. Only goods supply vehicles are allowed in and out of the province to meet the needs of the people. This lockdown has brought life to a standstill in the province and all major cities present a deserted look.
People are still not following social distancing guidelines. There are still crowds at some places which are not necessary and youngsters are using this time as holidays for recreation. Still, this lockdown has succeeded in preventing a massive outbreak of the virus in Balochistan. This province is not facing the same situation as the Punjab and Sindh, where one infected person is affecting entire neighbourhoods.
The section of a society facing the brunt of the lockdown is the daily wage earners. Due to the lockdown, they have lost their source of livelihood and hence they cannot put food on the table for their families. The provincial government is contemplating various plans to assist such people during this period. So far, the government has failed to execute any of its plans and these vulnerable people are left seeking distribution of ration by some philanthropists and volunteer groups. Although the efforts of these philanthropists are noble they cannot fill the vacuum of a major package by the government to help the needy people.
As the lockdown enters the second week in the province, people find it hard to keep up with the new reality. However, this situation is expected to continue for now to ensure that no room is provided for the spread of the virus. The current arrangement of Lockdown needs to be more effective, however, Balochistan cannot afford a curfew, which some government circles are hinting. In any case, there is no quick escape for people of Balochistan from this crisis.
The writer is a journalist and researcher based in Quetta. He can be reached on Twitter @iAdnanAamir