| May 24, 2002 | Friday | Rabi-ul-Awwal 11,1423 |
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High maternal mortality
Funds for fire-fighting
WITH the Indian prime minister calling for “a decisive fight”, tension in the subcontinent has now acquired a grim note. Simultaneously, some Indian warships have been moved from the eastern coast into the Arabian Sea to increase what Indian defence officials call “the level of preparedness in the western sector.” Addressing Indian troops in occupied Kashmir, Mr Vajpayee took his war rhetoric to a pitch higher than ever before. He talked about “history” being witness to this or that and asked his soldiers to be ready for “sacrifices” in the way of “victory.” Meanwhile, heavy mortar and machinegun fire across the Line of Control has continued, forcing hundreds of villagers to flee to safety.
Faced with all this, Pakistan has shown commendable calm and restraint. It has not set its own war drum beating. Unlike India, there is no war fever in this country. Instead, the government has only reiterated its firm resolve and confidence to repel any aggression if one is forced on it. As might be expected in a situation such as the present one, Pakistan has been keeping the world informed of the dangers stemming from India’s bellicose actions and utterances and the threatening movement and deployment of its army along Pakistan’s border. It now remains to be seen how and with what success world diplomacy asserts itself to restrain India from a possible misadventure. There is talk of India resorting to some limited strike in Azad Kashmir on the assumption that the hostilities in that event will remain confined to the disputed territory. This is wishful thinking. Once it begins, a military conflict follows a logic and momentum of its own and has a tendency to go beyond the limits visualized earlier. The side at a disadvantage may then choose to strike elsewhere if it feels it could gain a tactical or strategic advantage that way. Fighting, thus, could escalate in a manner and to a point which neither side may want but which neither would be able to prevent.
Evidence suggests that intense behind-the-scenes diplomacy is going on to avert a potentially perilous showdown in South Asia. High-level diplomats have been shuttling back and forth counselling restraint and moderation, and there are intense telephonic exchanges between world capitals and Islamabad and New Delhi. Yet there is not even the slightest indication from the other side that it is ready to move away from the warpath it has apparently chosen. The world is perplexed at the closed mind India is displaying on the question of talks for resolving all differences and disputes with Pakistan, starting with an end to the five-month-old standoff along the border.
What the BJP-led government now in power in New Delhi specifically wants is not clear. The Kashmiri people’s insurgency is now more than a decade old, and if outsiders have taken part in it, Pakistan has moved swiftly to stop their movement across the dividing line in Kashmir. Pakistan has also banned a number of militant parties and taken steps to curb terrorism within the country. The world has appreciatively noted these positive steps. On Tuesday, US Ambassador Wendy Chamberlain said she would give nine out of ten marks to President Musharraf for cooperating with the world coalition in the war on terror. However, it remains to be seen if Pakistan’s role in combating terrorism both within and outside is going to factor into political and diplomatic efforts to avoid a war in South Asia. Given the gravity of the situation, America and its European allies should be expected to redouble their efforts to make India see the horrible consequences its misadventure could lead to and make it realize that the only option before the two South Asian neighbours is a resolution of all disputes through negotiations.
THE state of women’s reproductive health in Pakistan was the focus of a seminar held in Karachi the other day. Shocking as it is, according to independent sources, the maternal mortality rate in the country is around 350 per 100,000 live births — one of the highest in the world. Also, an alarming nine per cent of women undergoing abortion succumb to the procedure, which is often carried out by untrained midwives or careless paramedics. Gynaecologists attending the seminar revealed that the incidence of cervix cancer was on the rise, owing partly to the general neglect shown to women’s reproductive health as well as to frequent pregnancies. Besides social barriers, lack of awareness among women about the basic do’s and don’ts with regard to their reproductive health, reliance on home remedies and barely trained midwives are key factors for the dismal state of affairs. But that is only part of the sad story.
The basic health care units, maternity homes and even hospitals, in both public and private sectors — where these are available — are often not adequately equipped to handle even routine emergencies associated with childbirth. Many such maternity homes, for instance, do not have operation theatres, and those that do, do not always follow timely and safe procedures, causing loss of life or complications affecting maternal health and well-being. While the government is doing well by running a public service campaign on the electronic media aimed at creating awareness about women’s reproductive health, such campaigns also need to inculcate a sense of responsibility and moral and legal obligation among the paramedical staff and personnel working in the maternity homes as to the care and precautions to be observed. Side by side, ensuring that these medical facilities and the hospital equipment used there remain in good working order can help improve the situation.
THE deferring of a resolution seeking the purchase of fire-fighting vehicles by Karachi’s city council is not good news. A lack of interest — bordering on the criminal — by the city administration and a shortage of funding have together effectively undermined the city’s fire-fighting capability. A city the size of Karachi, with over 12 million people, should have an adequate number of fire stations and tenders to deal with any fire emergency. However, the situation is quite the opposite. A handful of fire tenders and an equally dismal number of fire stations — some of which are situated on roads choked with traffic — are expected to deal with all kinds of fire emergencies. Consequently, when fires do occur it is often human initiative and courage, or the presence of alert bystanders, and not the prompt arrival of fire engines, that save lives and property. The recent past has shown that in most cases, fires are put out much after the affected structure or building has been reduced to ashes, so that there is not much to save anyway.
They city council deferred the resolution because it has been led to believe that control of the fire-fighting department was to be transferred to the provincial government. Whatever the technical issues involved, the matter is of utmost importance. If the reports are indeed true, one hopes the transfer will be effected soon and the requisite funds allocated without delay so that the functioning of this crucial emergency service could be strengthened. Experience has shown that postponement of a resolution — for whatever reason — often ends up sidetracking the public issue that is at stake. Given the urgent nature of the demand and the fact that Karachi’s fire-fighting department is in desperate need of new vehicles and equipment, the city council and the provincial government should promptly sort out the procedural issues involved in the matter.