- What folk wisdom can apply to the pandemic
Proverbs are pearls of wisdom premised on realities of life which provide guidance for dealing with or overcoming an unpalatable situation or a challenge, at the same time also pinpointing the inadequacies of those who have to confront those situations. Their veracity and applicability to the circumstances can hardly be denied as they are the outcomes of human experience over thousands of years, which lend eternity to the truth contained in them.
I would like to quote two Punjabi proverbs which are quintessential of the situation that our country is faced with in the backdrop of the onset of coronavirus. The first is Ganji nahaey gi ki tay nachorey gi ki and the other is Jidey ghar daney ohdey kamley wi sianey’ The English version of these proverbs respectively are: ‘When a bald woman bathes, what will she dry?’ and ‘If they have grain, even their mad ones are wise’.
A lot is being said and written on policies and approaches that are needed and that the government must adopt, to deal with the unprecedented challenge. I am afraid some of the solutions and strategies being suggested are simply not relevant to our situation and our existing economic prowess. Nevertheless I also find it hard to differ with the intellectual thrust of some of these discourses because they are surely applicable to the developed nations who not only have the resources to absorb the shockwaves unfurled by the corona virus as well as the paraphernalia and structures capable of supporting and reinforcing the national strategies and also keeping the people in the loop about those efforts and the ravages of the virus.
The reality is that our economy is in a perilous situation and is likely to plummet to a new low due to the impact of the virus. The country simply does not have the resources to stem the rot, help the poor and daily wage-earners affected by the lockdown, buy the medical and other equipment required to treat the afflicted persons and ensure the safety of the medics in case the pandemic assumes intensity. Even the most developed countries are struggling to cope with the ever changing situation and their health systems have come under unprecedented stress. But they are lucky in the sense that they have the resources available, not only to save their economies from going into a recession, but also to support the people who are losing jobs because of the lockdowns and closure of industries, besides expanding their health systems expeditiously to deal with the challenge.
People need to understand that no measures and policies adopted by the government can be successful unless they are supported and supplemented by the people. Under the given circumstances the best role that the people can play in tackling the spread of coronavirus is to stay home and avoid all sorts of socialization. By the grace of God the situation in Pakistan is not as serious as it is in other countries. It is still possible to prevent its spread if people strictly follow social distancing. There is no better cure than prevention
Third World countries like Pakistan cannot follow their model and strategies for rescuing the economy and providing relief to the people affected by the virus on the scale that such rich countries could afford. They surely need outside help and assistance which, though now it has started trickling in, may not be adequate enough to cater to their needs. Under the circumstances they have perforce to cut their cloth according to the size. The strategies and responses to deal with the challenge have to be commensurate with the available resources and in line with the social conditions.
In view of the foregoing stark realities, the flak being hurled at the PTI government by its political opponents and some of the critics about the inadequate stimulus and relief package and scarcity of the facilities and equipment to treat the coronavirus patients, is not justifiable. They need to be reminded that even in the developed countries like the USA, there are complaints about shortage of necessary equipment and facilities for treating the patients because the pandemic has affected hundreds and thousands of people and nobody had actually perceived the enormity and the ferocity of the challenge with which it has struck them.
Under the circumstances instead of castigating the government for the alleged inadequate response to the challenge due to resource constraint and the fragility of the existing health system, it needs to be judged on the basis of its commitment and determination to deal with the pandemic. Honestly speaking, I find it not lacking on both the counts. Keeping in view our economic and social conditions the government is doing whatever is possible to mitigate the impact of the virus. It is surely moving in the right direction in regards to preventing the spread of the virus, treating the afflicted persons, providing relief to the vulnerable sections of the society and also making sure that the vital sectors of the economy are kept running to avoid a total collapse.
The government decision not to enforce complete lockdown, keeping the agriculture sector open, allowing the construction sector to re-start its operations and giving it the status of an industry, according amnesty to the investments made in the construction industry and allowing Rs 100 billion rebate to the business community, are positive moves to keep the economy running and minimizing the level of unemployment.
Equally appreciable is the financial aid plan of the government for the poorest sections of society through Ehsas Programme which will benefit 12 million people who desperately need support to keep the wheel of life going. In spite of resource constraints, the subsidies given by the government are also very significant in this regard.
Nobody knows how long the pandemic is going to last. The Prime Minister sounds realistic when he says that there was a possibility of the pandemic assuming intensity in the coming days and we might run short of the equipment and space by the end of April to house and treat the coronavirus victims. He is also right in saying and admitting the reality that Pakistan simply did not have the resources and the capacity to cope with the situation if the spread of the coronavirus became unmanageable. Nevertheless the government has already initiated measures to deal with such an eventuality and to provide food to the people at their doorsteps in case a complete lock down becomes necessary. It is also encouraging to note that some philanthropist organizations, NGOs motivated by the spirit of national solidarity, have also unfurled efforts to help the poor and needy. Affluent individuals are also acting magnanimously to help the poor around them.
The Prime Minister is also right in emphasizing that the only way the spread of virus could be checked was to observe social distancing and make the current lockdown a success. Unfortunately it has been observed that people still do not seem to have realized the gravity of the situation, and at some places they have been seen ignoring the preventive measures being announced by the media day and night.
People need to understand that no measures and policies adopted by the government can be successful unless they are supported and supplemented by the people. Under the given circumstances the best role that the people can play in tackling the spread of coronavirus is to stay home and avoid all sorts of socialization. By the grace of God the situation in Pakistan is not as serious as it is in other countries. It is still possible to prevent its spread if people strictly follow social distancing. There is no better cure than prevention.
