KARACHI: In a move to pay tribute to the healthcare professionals died in the line of duty during the Covid-19 pandemic, a memorial would be built in Clifton area, officials and health fraternity members said on Sunday.

On the occasion of the ground-breaking ceremony of the memorial, Karachi Administrator Murtaza Wahab called it a good gesture both from the local administration and medical science professionals.

It is the brainchild of renowned gastroenterologist and physician Dr Saad Khalid Niaz, who surrendered his presidential award to the government in protest. He announced to establishing the memorial after the services of the healthcare workers, who served during the pandemic, were not recognised.

Addressing the ceremony, Mr Wahab said that unfortunately ‘only cricketers and those with guns’ were considered as heroes in Pakistan while the services of unsung heroes like medical professionals, teachers and social workers were hardly recognised in the country.

“The nations who ignore sacrifices of their real heroes never progress in this world. We hardly talk about scores of those heroes who live among us like doctors, paramedics, nurses, teachers and social workers like Abdus Sattar Edhi and others.”

He said the memorial would be built in the Clifton area with the support of Getz Pharma on a piece of land provided by the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation. The pharmaceutical company, he said, had agreed to bear the expenses of the memorial, which amounted to Rs45 million.

Although the federal government had not provided any compensation to the heirs of the healthcare providers died during the pandemic, he said, he would try to arrange a financial package for them as soon as possible.

“Similarly, an endowment fund as per suggestion of Dr Saad Khalid Niaz can also be established to fulfil educational needs of the children of the martyred healthcare providers. The Sindh government can provide the seed money in this regard,” he announced.

Dr Niaz in his address said he had decided to return his presidential award to the Government of Pakistan after the authorities in the centre selected only two doctors among 126 people for the presidential awards. He said healthcare providers, including doctors, paramedics, nurses and technicians, were the real heroes who sacrificed their lives against an enemy that was invisible and far more lethal than modern weapons of mass destruction.

“As per our information, around 232 doctors and 32 healthcare providers have so far sacrificed their lives due to Covid-19 in Pakistan. But none of those were honoured by the government. Not a single penny was paid to them as martyrs. Nothing was done for the education of their children,” he said.

Published in Dawn, March 28th, 2022