MPs panel on corona: Opposition calls for clear lockdown policy

ISLAMABAD: The opposition members in the Parliamentary Committee on Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Monday called for building a national narrative on fighting the corona and a clear cut policy on the lockdown.

During the committee chaired by the Speaker National Assembly Asad Qaisar, Sindh Health Minister Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho said a premature end to the lockdown will be very dangerous, as she foresaw a surge in cases soon in the absence of a clear policy.

“Lives have to be saved now, as health systems will collapse,’ she said. Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi called for a balanced approach towards health and economy, as the country’s economy could not endure a long lockdown.

All the provinces and the representatives of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan governments sought more equipment, while the Sindh government warned against being complacent about transmissions and deaths.

Senator Sherry Rehman emphasized the need for building a national narrative in the fight against coronavirus. She called for a strategic policy plan for the country, not disaggregated inputs and questions.

“This means, we speak with clarity and knowledge on the subject. This means the Covid meeting must be given health and economic updates before the meeting so we use the time to build better, coordinated responses,” she said. Asad Qaisar urged all the committee members to work together for a broad-based strategy to fight COVID-19.

“Parliamentary representatives can create public awareness about this disease in their respective constituencies and there is a need to keep balance between the health issues and economic challenges faced by the common man”, he said.

Asad stressed the need for a unanimous narrative to counter the pandemic. He also stressed the need for a follow-up mechanism in order to promptly get the recommendations of the committee implemented.

Qaisar, constituted a sub-committee headed by Senator Syed Shibli Faraz with Ali Muhammad Khan, Senator Barrister Muhammad Ali Saif, Ms. Shahida Akhtar Ali and Dr. Nosheen Hamid, Parliamentary Secretary for Health, as its members to follow up the committee recommendations. Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho apprised the committee that despite inadequate medical facilities and increasing number of corona cases, the province was trying utmost to cope with the situation.

She expressed fear that the corona situation might worsen in the coming weeks and suggested a strict lockdown stopping the local transmission of the virus. She said the OPDs and immunization in Sindh province was operational, however it was not going apace.

Punjab Minister for Health Dr. Yasmin Rashid briefed the committee about the number of corona virus tests conducted, patients found positive, medical facilities available in the hospitals and isolation and quarantine centers established in Punjab.

She said till date 58,000 tests had been conducted out of which 3,721 have been diagnosed positive with 2,100 belonging to the Tableeghi Jamaat, Zaireen and jail inmates.

She informed the meeting that an aggressive strategy had been formulated to carry out corona tests in Lahore being the epicenter to access the exact quantum of people affected by the virus.

She said the quarantine and isolation facilities have been intensified in different parts of the provinces besides enhancing the present testing capacity of 3000 per day to 21000 tests per day.

Chief Minister Gilgit-Baltistan Hafiz Hafeez-ur-Rehman apprised the committee that 2,667 tests had been conducted out of which 265 were positive.

He said the recovery rate of corona patients was 70% and it will improve exponentially with the support of government. He stressed the need for extending financial support to the Gilgit-Baltistan since its economy was dependent on tourism and agriculture which had been severely affected.

He asked for inclusion of destitute from Gilgit-Baltistan in the federal government’s Ehsaas financial assistance program and BISP. KP Minister for Health Taimur Jhagra told the committee that massive testing was required in the KP since he feared the situation could get worst due to hidden cases.

He said the government had taken appropriate measures in every district of the province since all districts had corona cases. He apprised the committee about the testing capacity, quarantine and isolation facilities besides equipping the medical practitioners and paramedics with the required protective gear.

AJK Minister for Health and chairman Standing Committee on Health Balochistan apprised the committee about the measures initiated to control the coronavirus in their respective jurisdictions.

The AJK minister suggested that doctors and paramedics should be provided Level-1 Personal Protection Equipment (PPEs) since they were at the forefront and more prone to disease.

He told the committee that the number of positive corona cases in AJK were 49 which were traced, tested and quarantined accordingly. The representative of Balochistan suggested provision of adequate VTM Kits for conducting tests. She also suggested re-initiation of children immunization program in Balochistan.

Special Assistants to Prime Minister on Health and Social Safety Dr. Zafar Mirza and Dr. Sania Nishtar updated the committee on the latest data of their respective departments. Dr. Zafar Mirza apprised the committee that need assessment was underway to provide PPE equipment to all health professionals.

He told the committee that local transmission was becoming dominant cause of spread of corona during the last few days, which was reported at 65 percent. He told the committee that 60 percent of corona spread was due to local transmission.

He informed the meeting that SOPs had been revised in the recent meeting of National Command and Operations Committee (NCOC) and now every health professional would be provided with Level-1 PPEs and massive tracking, testing and quarantine strategy will be implemented in the coming days.

Dr. Sania Nishtar said that the lockdown strategy needs to be revisited in coming days since the country’s economy cannot bear a perpetual lockdown. She informed the committee about the cash disbursement to the destitute under the PM’s Emergency Cash Assistance Programme.

Minister for Foreign Affairs Makhdoom Shah Mehmood Qureshi responding to the suggestions of the committee, said that the leaders of the political parties, religious scholars and Ulema may come forward and help the government to devise a policy for religious congregations and prayers during Ramazan.

He said studies and statistics project that the peak corona period might coincide with the Ramazan and, therefore, health guidelines need to be strictly observed. He suggested that the JUI-F chief Fazlur Rehman should come forward and guide the masses. He agreed that an adaption policy was imperative for dealing with the future challenges and suggested inviting financial experts in the next meeting for their input.

He further said his party was a strong proponent of provincial autonomy; however, a strategy for coordination between provinces and federal government be devised to deal with national emergencies.

Expressing his point of view, Barrister Muhammad Ali Saif called for formulation of an adaptive policy to deal with the future challenges.

He also suggested appropriate measures by the federal government to tackle national emergencies in the context of devolved subjects to the provinces. Ministers Dr. Fehmida Mirza and Ali Muhammad Khan emphasized the need for a media campaign to create awareness about the health guidelines formulated by the health departments.

Ali Muhammad Khan suggested reconsideration of re-entering the destitute recently removed from the BISP lists. Advisor to the PM on Parliamentary Affairs Babar Awan suggested a common narrative to deal with the challenges.

The opposition members however were of the view that a unanimous strategy for lockdown should be evolved to avoid confusion in masses. PML-N parliamentary leader in the National Assembly Khawaja Muhammad Asif said the country was being confronted simultaneously with health and economic challenges, therefore, a clear policy be devised to address both the challenges.

PPP leader Raja Pervaiz Ashraf stressed the need for a clear lockdown policy. Amir Haider Azam Hoti of ANP suggested that the trajectory of corona virus victims versus lockdown be explored for formulation of a future strategy on lockdown.

Senator Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri of JUI-F mentioned the problems being faced by members of Tableeghi Jamaat stranded in Punjab and suggest immediate remedial measures. Usman Khan Kakar called for facilitating the CNIC holders whose cards had expired besides taking cognizance of the power outages in Balochistan especially for the agriculture.

During the meeting, Parliamentary leader of the PML-N Senator Mushahidullah Khan staged a walkout from the meeting in protest as he was not given time to speak. He alleged that Asad Qaisar ignored him intentional.