KARACHI: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari has said that the federal government should limit itself to Islamabad if its policy during coronavirus crisis is that provinces should independently address their problems.

Talking to some news channels, the PPP chairman said the armed forces had supported and endorsed the Sindh government in its efforts to contain the deadly coronavirus outbreak, which encouraged the provincial government. The PTI government did not have the courage to touch the 18th constitutional amendment, while the PPP was ready to explain the matter to all stakeholders, he said.

Mr Bhutto-Zardari said the timely measures taken by the Sindh government prevented a situation like Italy, Iran, New York and Wuhan from arising in Pakistan, as other provinces followed in the footsteps of the Sindh government and the deadly outbreak did not spread rapidly.

He said that the Sindh government was trying to save the lives of the citizens, while the Sindh governor, who represents the federation, had been opposing the lockdown in Sindh.

Pakistan Medical Association urges govt to provide PPE

“The federal ministers said about the doctors on the frontline that they are doing politics at the behest of the Sindh government. Due to the double standards of the federal government, the coronavirus is spreading in the country and the number of victims is expected to increase significantly,” he added.

He said that personal protective equipment (PPE) had not been provided to doctors and the paramedical staff by the federation so far. “Some masks and test kits have been provided by the NDMA to the provinces. So far, the provinces are meeting 90 per cent of the costs of the coronavirus crisis with their own resources, but the provinces alone cannot cope with this global pandemic. Due to non-cooperation of the federation, the provinces are facing great difficulties in fighting this deadly pandemic,” he added.

Mr Bhutto-Zardari said that he realised that the poor, working class people and daily-wage earners had been most affected by the coronavirus situation. He said at the moment, he was deeply concerned for their lives and their families’ lives.

He pointed out that the institutions through which the present government was taking steps to provide relief to the poor, be it the BISP or the USCs, were all set up during the PPP governments.

On the ongoing threat from attacks on crops by swarms of locusts, the PPP chairman said that if the locusts were not eradicated, the food security situation in the country would worsen.

Mr Bhutto-Zardari said he had called on the federal government to take steps to rid of the swarms of locusts because the federal cabinet has a minister on food security as well.

“The provincial government has significantly increased the number of hospitals in Sindh after the powers were devolved to the province,” he said, adding that it would now focus on bringing improvement in the education sector in Sindh on the same pattern as the health sector was improved.

He said that despite impediments and difficulties, he and his party were determined to resolve the problems.

Meanwhile, a delegation of the Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) held a meeting with the PPP chairperson and Sindh’s chief minister at Bilawal House and apprised them of the problems being faced by healthcare providers.

The PMA representatives urged the government to ensure uninterrupted supply of PPE to all healthcare providers, enhance Covid-19 testing capacity and implement the notification announcing reimbursement of the amount deducted from doctors’ salaries.

“The government was requested to include doctors serving in the private sector that are to be benefited from the Shuhada package, designate separate hospitals for Covid-19 treatment at the district level and announce payment of high-risk allowance to all healthcare providers,” said a press release.

Published in Dawn, May 5th, 2020