China’s timely help
China’s timely help
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Amidst the challenging COVID-19 outbreak, China has sent more consignments to Pakistan. These carry millions of masks, ventilators and other medical equipment. Moreover, an 8-member medical team has arrived in Islamabad to help curb the disease in the country.

Amidst the challenging COVID-19 outbreak, China has sent more consignments to Pakistan. These carry millions of masks, ventilators and other medical equipment. Moreover, an 8-member medical team has arrived in Islamabad to help curb the disease in the country.

Another installment of COVID-19 medical equipment from Chinese billionaire Jack Ma’s Alibaba Foundation arrived today, at Islamabad.An aircraft carrying medical relief supplies was dispatched fromChina, as the number of confirmed coronaviruscases crossed 1,350. According to the National Disaster Management Authority spokesperson, China sent another aircraft loaded with at least 50,000 testing kits to Karachi.

Regular updates provided by the Chinese embassy on twitter revealed that “the plane carried over 10,000 test kits, 10,000 N95 masks,1 lakh Disposable medical masks, 5,000 Medical protective clothes, 5 ventilators, 11 Defibrillator monitors and some 62,000 sets of drugs for treating COVID-19”.

According to the Chinese Embassy, the 8-member medical team from Xinjiang, China will stay inPakistan for a span of two weeks. This is an exemplary step from China, as Pakistan’s COVID-19 cases are on the rise. Domestic medical teams are devoting their time and expertise endlessly. However, there is a dire need for proper guidance and sufficient medical equipment. This will help to prevent, diagnose, and treat the virus.

Their compassion and concern for Pakistani people is indeed praiseworthy.

No doubt we do not have the kind of medical infrastructure to handle with the worst of the coronavirus outcomes, and we will need all the help we can get. That is why it is so reassuring that China has sent its doctors and medical supplies to help Pakistan. So far, the number of cases as well as deaths here has not been as large as in other countries. So it is essential to get control of the situation right now, before it can do more harm than we are capable of handling.

These testing times have proved how much Chinese and Pakistani people feel the pain of each other. Apart from providing necessary medical equipment, Chinese government has also sent a team of doctors who are specialists in dealing with the Corona Virus. Our health authorities should take maximum benefit from their advice to turn the tide on this deadly virus. Credit goes to Chinese government that successfully managed the crisis and we have a lot to learn from their successes to put a lid on this challenge, which was never experienced by humanity before. The United States has reportedly set up a $274 million fund to help the international community in combating the outbreak of this deadly disease. One expects much greater contribution from a country like the US, which has to see beyond its borders and its people to protect and save the humanity. Together and through collective efforts, we can meet this challenge.

Prime Minister Imran Khan’s call of relieving developing countries like Pakistan of debt burden and lifting sanctions on Iran has garnered support at international level and our leadership needs to press on this issue in order to ward off economic impact of this virus on developing countries. The world especially the major lenders such as IMF and the World Bank must give a serious consideration to this call to avoid further disasters in developing countries.

Pakistan can win this fight early provided we do the most basic things right. And nobody better than the Chinese to tell us that everything begins with and hinges on the degree of isolation we can enforce on the masses. Next, of course, comes the medical handling of the problem. And lastly there has to be enough in the reserves to see the lockdown through. Even with the best efforts, things will unravel if this period of isolation, which will be a considerable drag on the economy, is not financed properly.

The current situation indeed warrants an international response to meet this global phenomenon. Heavy responsibility rests with economically stronger countries. They need to show more open heartedness and compassion for developing countries as has been shown by China.