LAHORE: Activists from different walks of life agreed to launch a country-wide campaign “Free Vaccine For All” in an online public rally. The rally was addressed by Baba Jan, Hamid Mir, Karamat Ali, Dr Ashraf Nizami, Dr Ammar Ali Jan, Mohammed Tehseen among others.
Addressing the rally, Prof Zaighum Abbas from Asian People’s Movement on Debt and Development said that Pakistan is the only country to allow private companies to procure vaccines. This he termed ‘criminal and inhumane’ during a global pandemic. When state should have taken more primary responsibility of health, it is benefitting private mafias by allowing them to make profits, he said.
Haqooq-e-Khalq Movement activist Dr Alia Haider called for increasing health budget and diverting development budget towards vaccination drive. All state institutions should play their role in ensuring free corona vaccine for everyone, she said.
Political leader of Gilgit Baltistan Baba Jan underlined the need to start a campaign for free provision of vaccines.
Prof Dr Ashraf Nizami, President Pakistan Medical Association Lahore, said that vaccination is primarily the responsibility of the state. PMA stands in full solidarity with the demand of public to provide Covid vaccine, he said.
Mushtaq Lashari of Third World Solidarity said that already 50 per cent of population has been vaccinated in most South Asian countries and Pakistan needs to fix this lag.
Professor Dr Masood Khan from London told the rally, “We need to educate the young people about contradictions in our priorities.”
Karamat Ali, executive director of Pakistan Institute of Labour Education and Research, said, “Our health sector has become incapable of catering to our needs. Our social security sector is non-existent. Working class has been the worst hit by Covid. I endorse that vaccine should be provided freely by the state and our government needs to prioritise that.”
Journalist Hamid Mir said that all around the world the policy is to provide free vaccine, even Transparency International has said that Pakistan government is pursuing a wrong path by selling the vaccine. He pointed out that PTI govt and Sindh govt have the same policy of selling the vaccine at exorbitant price. “I endorse the demand that vaccine should be provided free to people,” he said.
Mohammed Tahseen of South Asia Partnership said that the government is not interested in providing free vaccination to people. “We have become a beggar state that doesn’t prioritise health. Free vaccination should be the one-point agenda of people’s led movement,” he said.
Nisar Shah advocate said, “A government official said that people who don’t want to queue can go buy vaccines. This is pathetic. There is a need to respond to this disastrous situation like people did in the 2005 earthquake. We need to initiate a movement like that around this demand,” he said.
Anees Haroon from Women Action Forum Karachi said debate on this issue is very timely. She said that women’s representation in such a movement is crucial and they need to be included and given lead role.
Khalid Mehmood from Labour Education Foundation said that health sector in this country has always been run on donations, be that polio or AIDS or any other pandemic. Therefore, we need to add this demand to the public discourse that vaccine may be provided free to everyone, he said.
Dr Ammar Ali Jan from Haqooq-e-Khalq Movement said that every working class household is suffering either from hepatitis or Covid or some other pandemic. The gap between state and people can only be bridged with service. “Get a new social contract. This system is unsustainable. We need to form a campaign against this criminal negligence and provide a new socialist alternative,” he said.
Jalvat Ali from Labour Education Foundation said that the working class has been fired en-masse and now it is being denied the vaccine.
Akash Ashfaq from Toba Tek Singh said, “Provision of free vaccines apart, we also need to talk about Covid patients who are being fleeced even by public hospitals. The injections used in the treatment of Covid, must be free,” he said.
Saima Zia of Crofter Foundation said that all the people here are one way or the other associated with grassroots movements. “We need to sensitise government towards this important issue. This movement must be led by people,” he said.
Farooq Tariq, General Secretary Pakistan Kissan Rabita Committee said, “We demand free vaccine for all citizens of Pakistan. We demand the government cancel permission to private companies for selling vaccine, that the state should immediately order at least 200 million doses of Corona vaccine. Pakistan should start producing the vaccine itself as well. This public rally is first step towards free vaccine campaign. We will organise it on federal level and more actions would be taken in future to force the government to change its present policies regarding the vaccine. We demand free universal health for all,” he said.