COVID-19: Please heed to doctors warning

The coming weeks are likely to be worse than ever before. According to the latest figures released by the health authorities pandemic is moving ahead very fast—faster than initial days of pandemic’s onslaught.

The other day forced by the gravity of the imminent increasing number of cases, representatives of All Pakistan’s doctors association along with paramedics held a press conference in Karachi Press Club to warn the nation that in the coming weeks the situation would worsen, and, if such outrages like mullas opening mosques for prayers are allowed the consequences would be lethal.  

The doctors’ fraternity have appealed to the nation, mullas as well as PTI government to–on their own– adopt self restraint in avoiding to go to mosques for prayers in Ramadan until the pandemic is over or controlled. Very wisely– without pricking the religious sentiments of the people or provoking the mulla brigade– doctors have urged upon the clerical fraternity, on their own, to appeal to the nation not to go to mosques for regular prayers and Taravih in Ramadan. And like Mufti Muneeb adopted a wiser course by himself to stick to prayers at home.

Instead of pursuing a saner path and not throwing caution to the wind, PTI’s behaviour is most irreligious, wayward and vagabondish– treating Coronavirus lightly. It has got an army of buffoons as IK’s Adviser’s who are hell bent on provoking sensibilities of people at large as well as the clerics. Instead of supporting the saner advice of the doctors community and PMA’s demand to become draconian in implementing the lockdown, IK’s adviser– some half wit known as Shahnaz Gill has come up with the wild accusation that doctors are being used by Sindh government in support of its move to have stricter control and wider lockdown when Imran Khan is opposed to it. It is like hitting below the belt the doctors’ community which is in the front line of the crusade against coronavirus risking their own lives—in cases going for treatment of needy patients without minimum protective kits. Many doctors have died in the process themselves becoming victims of pandemic. 

As the coming weeks are being forewarned likely to be worse than ever before, Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa has rightly taken the initiative of managing care of Covid cases by deploying his medical corps and troops to get around with effective measures to eradicate the pandemic before it cripples more than half the population. It is suggested to him to use his means and men power to quash mad advisers of Imran Khan like Shahnaz Gill, Faisal Vada and Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan who all suffer from diarrhoea spilling scum without understanding the imminent alarming situation. It will be easier for him to control the virus after scotching these idiots under his feet.

Notwithstanding the decision of the umma at large and clerical community world wide not to open mosques for prayers etc in Ramadan, the most decisive anti Coronavirus step has been taken by the Guardians of Harmain Sharifaieen who have ordered locking of Holy Ka’aba and Masjid-e-Nabi for prayer congregations in Ramadan except permission to the staff to dust-n-clean and carry on their individual prayers not more than five persons at a time with proper distancing.

As against this highly practical decision in the light of Holy Prophet‘s (Peace Be Upon Him) instructions that wherever there is plague or the like people should avoid congregations as well as similar directives in other epidemics. It is regretfully noted that Pakistani Mulla brigade has shown little obedience to the Holy Prophet’s directive although Mufti Munib has chosen the best recourse for himself by making it clear to the world that during coming Ramadan he is going to offer his prayers at home and would not go to any mosque. Indeed, very wise of him. I wish he had asked others too of his fraternity to stay away from congregational prayers till the Coronavirus menace is over.

By and large responsible people who are aware of the dreaded consequences if precaution is thrown to the wind by strictly following the instructions, do’s and don’ts—and setting examples of public awareness. It is good to note that with the number of Covid-19 cases rising steadily, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) is rightly alarmed at the way the federal government is handling this public health crisis.

In a statement its Chairperson has lamented about the absence of clarity in the federal government’s measures – a clarity without which it cannot hope to curb the pandemic and create space for the country’s already fragile healthcare system and employment. Indeed, the government in Islamabad has sown confusion among the population by relaying mixed messages about the lockdown and inciting its supporters such as buffoon in IK’s advisor Shahnaz Gill to undermine the painstaking efforts of the Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah and the provincial government and its decision to enforce severe locked down.

HRCP is right in stressing that instead of learning from the experience of more developed countries that have suffered hugely at the hands of this pandemic, the federal government remains unclear, indecisive and muddleheaded. Its decision to allow religious congregations under pressure from certain clerics in the holy month of Ramadan contravenes what is happening in other Muslim countries.

In conclusion HRCP’s Chairperson Dr Mehdi Hasan has rightly regretted to note that when a large part of the population across Pakistan is at risk, it is deeply disappointing to see the federal government indulge in scoring political points against a provincial government which has done well. PTI government must not capitulate to the big business and religious lobbies and act in the right earnest to save and serve the people at large. Wake up before it is too late.