Coronavirus infection: Divergent approaches to shatter efforts to overcome virus, says CM Murad Ali Shah

KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has called for developing a unanimous national action plan to contain and overcome Coronavirus, otherwise the divergent approaches by individual provinces would shatter the whole containment effort leading to tragic outcome.

“A provincial Coronavirus Advisory Group has proposed extension of lockdown by another 14 days and we support the proposal if it is approved at the national level.” This he said on Monday while addressing a press conference here at Auditorium of New Sindh Assembly Building. He was flanked by provincial ministers, Saeed Ghani, Imtiaz Shaikh, Nasir Shah and Adviser Murtaza Wahab. The CM said the coronavirus epidemic was not being confronted by Sindh alone or Pakistan but it has created a crisis globally. “We have one option either to contain or slow it down so that necessary emergency health arrangements could be made available in the intervening window, otherwise it would wreak havoc across the country,” he said. He said the only way to comprehensively dealt with the national health emergency was to build a National Action Plan to combat COVID-19 comprising a national narrative to undertake convergent and mutually supportive actions. Individual actions will only be self defeating in the long run as no one lives on secluded islands. He said the Army Public School carnage built national unity and subsequently a national action plan came into existence to defeat the terrorists. At this juncture, we need similar plan, he urged.

The chief minister said that one of the provinces also has its own Corona Advisory Group which suggested further extension in the lockdown for another two weeks. “I am surprised that some people have suddenly emerged from hibernation to criticise me for lockdown,” he said and added “I have no objection to their foul language but they must also criticize those who followed Sindh in imposing the same.” He added that he was quite happy that the other provinces took Sindh's lead and succeeded in slowing down the spread.

Shah said that his government announced distribution ration but the federal government deliberately delayed sharing the data of the deserving people due to which Sindh could not start distribution of ration. “No issue, the federal government has initiated distribution of cash which is a good thing but its mechanism is violating the SOPS of containment and self distancing and only resulting in multiplying the infection. The CM suggested that this disbursement should have been done on BISP (Benazir Income Support Programme) model,” he said. Shah conceded that there might have been mistakes in his decisions but was confident that his mistakes would not have caused much damage as compared to preventing the infection from spinning out of control in the province.

The chief minister said that 250,000 ration bags were distributed so far. “We have released Rs1 billion for distribution of ration and the philanthropists have provided 300,000 ration bags,” he said and added in this way we would distribute 500,000 bags all over Sindh. He said that the ration was distributed from 4 to 7 am every day and it was handed over to the deserving people at their doorsteps. He thanked Rangers and Police for helping the government in distribution of ration.

The chief minister said that he created Coronavirus Emergency Fund in which the provincial government employees contributed Rs3 billion and Rs118 million were donated by people of Pakistan. “I have heard that overseas Pakistanis have also donated about $1.5 million. “All the details of the fund have been put on the finance department's website, and we are in the process of finalising agreement with Fergusons to audit the account.” To a question, the chief minister said that he has provided some funds to Indus Hospital for procurement of equipment. “We have also given funds to Pakistan Army for establishment of Expo Centre Field Hospital where they procured required equipment on their own,” he said and thanked Pakistan Army, Corps Commander Karachi and GOC Karachi for their support and cooperation.

CM Shah said that his government was facing shortage of critical equipment like PPEs, testing kits, testing machines and ventilators. “Our vendor's consignment is lying in London,” he said and added the federal government can talk to the British government to hasten that consignment. He said that he has ordered preparation of PPEs locally but ventilators, testing kits and testing machines were to be provided by the federal government. He also thanked the federal government for providing PPEs and some testing kits. He said that the government of a particular province arranged 10,000 tests and 50,000 kits within few days, a similar facility may kindly be given to other provinces, he urged the Center.

According to WHO, Sindh is the only province which has conducted tests as per their laid down procedure and hoped the others would also be following the course.The chief minister said that the holy month of Ramzan was approaching and t all our actions and lifestyle must be guided strictly by the health advisories. To a question about two federal ministers [Fasial Vawda and Ali Zaidi], the chief minister said that let them criticize us. They are what he said FOMOs `Fear of Being Missing Out’. “Let the FOMOs show their presence but they have ignored the fact that by asserting their presence they are hurting national unity critically needed at this juncture. The chief minister said that he has written to the prime minister to write off the electricity bills of up to Rs 5000 and gas bills of up to Rs 2000 which would provide much needed relief to the needy.

Earlier in the day while participating in Prime Minister Imran Khan’s National Coordination committee through video link, the Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah asked the federal government to ban export of essential food items like wheat, rice and pulses under food security plan, otherwise there could be severe shortages.

He said “the wheat being harvested these days might be surplus but local requirement of the current year and of the next crop year must be addressed before taking any decision of exporting,” he said and added we must start our emergency preparations as we can't predict the future crop produce. Talking about COVID-19, the chief minister said that the number of positive cases were on the rise in Sindh alarmingly. “A patient of virus died within six hours on Monday which is quite dangerous,” he said. He said that keeping in view the critical situation he wanted another lockdown of 14 days, if approved at the national level. “The decision should be taken and announced by the prime minister and we, the provinces would follow the decision in true letter and spirit,” he said.

Shah suggested the prime minister that his government was giving Rs12,000 cash per family. “The payment must be made conditional to the recipient observing lockdown by staying home at least for 14 days,” he said.

The chief minister said that he was mindful of the economic situation and no growth was being expected. However he underlined that “we will revive the economy but we don’t have any technology to revive the people who lose their lives due the virus, therefore we must first save lives,” he said.