ISLAMABAD: While it is being claimed that the mortality rate in Pakistan, India and other countries of the region is fewer due to Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine and malaria belt, the higher mortality rate in Asian health workers in the United Kingdom and Europe may have been the result of their exposure to frontline Covid-19 patient response teams on account of racial consideration.

Medical experts in Pakistan and the UK have alleged that the Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) are more vulnerable to the disease in Europe as they have been compelled to give more time to their work as compared to others.

The vice chancellor of the University of Health Sciences (UHS) and Fellow of Royal College of Physicians, UK, Dr Javed Akram, while talking to Dawn, said that while it was being believed that the Asians were more protected due to different reasons, a survey of the UK’s National Health Services (NHS) department showed that the mortality rate was higher in BAME as compared to locals.

“After survey it is being blamed that the high mortality rate is due to carelessness. However, fact is that, due to racist mentality, Asians are stigmatised and they are forced to do extra duties. Moreover, they have been working in the departments dealing with acute infections,” he said.

Experts in Pakistan and UK say Black, Asian and minority ethnic are more vulnerable to disease

Dr Akram, who is also president of the Pakistan Society of Internal Medicine, said that after the death of George Floyd, a 46-year-old black American who was killed by police official after arrest in the US, it had been proved that people faced discrimination on the basis of colour of their skin.

“In a number of countries of Europe, Pakistanis, Indians and Africans are pushed to work more and that is why they are more exposed to Covid-19 and that is why there is more mortality in them,” he added.

He said Dr Gloria Esegbona, a London-based gynaecologist and a global women’s health activist, also raised the issue and stated she “can’t breathe” due to racism.

Senior acute care physician Dr Tanzeem Haider Raza, who works in a hospital located in south of England, while talking to Dawn, said Pakistanis, Indians, Arabs and Africans were infected more as compared to locals.

“It is being claimed that the Asians have a number of health issues such as diabetes, obesity, etc, and that is why there is high mortality rate in them. However, I feel that there is an issue of distribution of labour,” he said.

“Non-whites have been put in front door jobs. The survey conducted by National Health Services department of the UK identifies that there is more mortality rate in non-whites and they are more vulnerable to disease,” Dr Raza, who was also infected with Covid-19 and recovered, said.

Published in Dawn, July 28th, 2020