IN times of pandemics like Covid-19, the glaring inadequacies in our health sector stand exposed, and none other than Prime Minister Imran Khan accepted the fact it in his address to the nation on Tuesday. The lack of our capacity to handle the challenges is alarming, but what is criminal is the authorities’ failure to provide preventive clothing to health workers attending to coronavirus patients.

There is no doubt Pakistan has limited fiscal resources. But this should be no excuse. It is time the state accepted the fact that its priorities are lopsided.

Why should the state only pander to and look after the needs of a few, instead of investment in health, education, and provision of basic necessities to the most deprived people, which is their constitutional right.

Despite our financial constraints, members of the powerful civil and uniformed services are offered subsidised housing in addition to extravagant pensions, emoluments, bullet-proof limousines etc for performing services, for which they are paid fat salaries.

Billions would be available annually if all perks are stopped and the evil of posh housing schemes subsidised by taxpayers’ money is done away with forever.

A Citizen
Lahore

Published in Dawn, March 30th, 2020