By: Bahad Baloch
Every hell in Baluchistan is primarily because of the promotion of the culture of extractive political institutions, the tribal culture is the main supportive pillar of this process. The fear of constructive development even has barred the Baloch nationalist tribal leaders to give up their tribal titles. This resultantly eased the way of the establishment to install its puppet people in power. This vicious circle is unchecked, however, the pandemic coronavirus 2019 COVID-19, has shaken the fabric of the entire system, from here either things are going to be worse or coming generation is going to end this vicious circle. This has to be linked with the historical events specifically, the Black Death and great Bengal famine. Pessimistically, the present situation of Baluchistan is no different from the historically health-related disasters (Black Death in 1340s) and mismanagement of authorities (Great Bengal famine in 1770s), historically these events resulted in mass political change in the regions, but after the death of millions of people. Besides these, there are multiple factors to be pessimist combating against the COVID-19, the top is the list is the fragile health situation of Baluchistan. But who is responsible for the current health situation?
There are a total of 132 hospitals (according to Pakistan bureau statistics 2018) including 27 District Headquarters Hospitals DHQs, in the province for a population of 12.34 million. Under such a scenario can province combat with a pandemic?
Surely, being a pessimist is not a good sign, but better than being falsely optimist. There is hardly any good sign of life in Baluchistan. Politically, there is no freedom of expression, the economic situation is worse of all compare to other provinces (overall 71 per cent of the population in Baluchistan is Multidimensional poor), 45 per cent of Baluchistan’s population is illiterate, and the situation of health is worse of all. There are a total of 132 hospitals (according to Pakistan bureau statistics 2018) including 27 District Headquarters Hospitals DHQs, in the province for a population of 12.34 million. Under such a scenario can province combat with a pandemic?
To fight against an unseen enemy COVID-19, there is need of political power, with strong centralize control of power. Politically, situation of Baluchistan is an open secret. Strong tribal culture generated political families in Baluchistan, and these families have surrendered the civil powers before the establishment. This surrendering of power has created a political vacuum in Baluchistan, and nationalist political parties got fail to fill the vacuum. Ultimate result of this all process is extractive political institutions in Baluchistan. However, there has been productive struggle for the political freedom in the Baluchistan led by political icon like Mir Yousuf Aziz magsi and Abdul Aziz Kurd before 1947 and Mir Ghous bux Bizenjo and Gul Khan Naseer, during 1950s-80s. Their struggle resulted the end of one unit and formation of National Awami Party’s (NAP) government, though after 9 months government was dismantled. Among many other factors of dismantling of NAP government, few were inner tribal conflicts between Mengal, Jam and Bughti. To sum up, from 1970s till recently Baluchistan has been governed powerlessly by political families, or a few governments who tried to utilize their constitutional powers, their governments were dislodged.
Until there is a vaccine for COVID-19, the developed nations curtailing the threat of it through paying more and more attentions towards health facilities and protection of medical team specially doctors. But the case of under-developed world is reverse, states like Pakistan is clueless to fight against pandemic. The federal government is worried about economic crisis rather protection of lives, and every provincial government either handling the situation or mishandling it. But can health department of Baluchistan handle this pandemic?
The current installed government of Baluchistan has further jeopardized the already worse situation of the province. From the episode of Taftan mismanagement to beating up the doctors and presenting misinformation by the representative of CM have exposed the incompetency of current government. Now under such situation can a nation fight against COVID-19?
Health department is the frontline body to combat against COVID-19 but the department has be grim victim of negligence. In 2008 there were 98 hospitals in the province, however, we have only marginal increase of hospitals till 2018, turning it to 132. Prior to 18th amendment, the health was a federal chapter but after 2010 it has become a provincial one, since that province has only 10 more hospitals (2010 there were 122 hospitals). Even, the nationalist government (2013-2018) got fail to upgrade the health facilities in the province, despite having health minister portfolio. In 2013 there were 124 public hospitals and 6980 beds, after completion of five years term, very little increased is seen, 132 hospitals and 7747 beds respectively (according to Pakistan bureau Statistics). It means there is one bed for almost 1600 patients (population of province is 12.34 million). Under such fragile situation of health, it is obvious that pandemic is going to hunt as many people as it wants.
Human error has added salt to injuries. The mismanagement started from one of the backward areas of Baluchistan, that’s is Taftan, the border between Iran and Pakistan. The provincial government knowing that the province is not having any capacity to quarantine thousands of people in Taftan, yet she did do. For more than 14 days ZAHERIN were kept in Taftan without any facilities, they were returned to their own provinces without being tested properly. Provincial government knowing that it can’t handle the situation, should have coordinated with other provinces to arrange quarantine centers in their provinces. Chief executive of Baluchistan prepared negligence rather tackling the issue sensibly. And the journey of negligence did not end from there, after being prime actor of spreading virus across the country, the chief minister declined the demand of doctors to provide them Personal Protective Equipment Kit (PPE), they were beaten in the daylight for demanding PPE kit. To justify this act of beating, CM Balochistan conducted, a survey on Tweeter on 8 April 2020, “do doctors have to wear a PPE kit for normal OPD? And that too in a hospital where there is not a single Covid-19 patient or admitted or being treated”, 66 percent opted “yes” they should be provided PPE kit yet doctors were not provided kit for outdoor patients, resultantly, one of the doctors (dr. saboor kakar) who was beaten in the protest, resulted positive COVID-19 along with 6 other doctors on 25 April. Who to be blamed for this negligence?
The data available in the official website of the government of Pakistan, www.covid.gov.pk, there are total 25 laboratories in Pakistan where corona tests facility is available, one is in the capital city of Balochistan, Fatima Jinnah hospital Quetta, 7 in Sindh, 8 in Punjab, 3 in KPK, 2 in federal capital other are in AJ&K and GB. Besides, laboratories there are total 534 isolation beds across the province, and 5,897 quarantine beds including 4,950 beds in Taftan, there are 853 confirmed cases, 13 deaths, and 176 recovery cases in Balochistan from 31 March till 27 April. While, inquiring on “1166” about the provincial testing capacity per day it was replied ‘there is no confirm data to them but probably above 200 per day”, further inquired total test so far conducted, the reply was “there is no such data to them”. However, from another source it become revealed that total 7991 test were conducted (31 March-27 April 27, 2020),it means the current ratio of corona patients in Balochistan is 9 percent, while so far test of 0.067 percent of people were conducted out of total population (12.34 million). These figures are alarming for a province having no direct access to capital city, for 72.5 percent of population living in rural area. These rural area are not having road access to their district head quarts, leave alone capital. There is hardly any way to conduct test of 72.5 percent of population.
Under this fragile political, economic and health situation being optimist is self-deceiving, the unreported number of cases are much higher. With every passing day, the threat of COVID-19 is increasing. In the near future province is going to face a very high number of COVID-19 cases, with no facility to treat them. Death (God forbid) is going to be ill-fortune for thousands of people if the vaccine of the corona is not prepared before December of this year. But what we are going to learn from this pandemic? Does this will weaken the feudal tribal system in the province? Will it pave the ways for political freedom and economic up-gradation for coming generation? Will history will repeat itself? (After every pandemic world had witnessed either positive or negative change). It will be us, going to witness (if survived) a new wave of history, might be the dawn for which we were waiting or a dust which become our ill-fate.
The writer is a student of Political Science at Lasbela university of Agriculture, Water and Marine Sciences, Balochistan
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