Pakistan seeks diaspora’s help to curb COVID-19

[ShaikhKamal]

https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/634186-pakistan-seeks-diaspora-s-help-to-curb-covid-19

Pakistan seeks diaspora’s help to curb COVID-19

DUBAI: The federal government has once again approached overseas Pakistanis via its diplomatic missions abroad to help them to prevent and control the coronavirus pandemic in the country.

In this connection, the Government of Pakistan has asked missions abroad to seek possible support from Pakistani community for meeting the national requirements relating to medical supplies and associated items.

Diplomat officials informed The News that Pakistan Foreign Office Islamabad sent a letter to its foreign missions to fetch ventilators and other medical equipment for preventing and testing coronavirus.

“As you are aware that Government of Pakistan is taking necessary measures for the prevention of containment of COVID-19”, the Foreign Office Islamabad’s letter stated, further asking the community members if they could identify medical equipment manufacturers , stocks and suppliers of those items.

On enquiring about the letter, a diplomat official revealed that Pakistan’s mission in Abu Dhabi received the letter a few days back. And, then Pakistan Ambassador to the UAE Ghulam Dastagir sent a letter to affluent Pakistanis living in the emirates requesting them to extend necessary support.

Normally, federal government used to contact its commercial sections in the mission for such purpose but unfortunately there is no commercial counsellor in Pakistan consulate Dubai since the last few months while the commercial section has already been shut down in Pakistan Embassy in Abu Dhabi, UAE few months back.

Another diplomat said that Imran Khan’s government was looking for medical equipment such as ventilators, masks for preventing the coronavirus pandemic. But, unfortunately, these equipment are also in high demand in the emirates so it would be very difficult to arrange equipment, he added.

One Pakistani community leader also confirmed that the body received the letter from the Pakistan mission for the arrangement of medical equipment. He said that the social body could not arrange the ventilators and other equipment quickly but the financial help can be provided during a global pandemic.

 

[khansaheeb]

Prevention is better than ventilator. They should be asking for n95 masks and hand sanitisers.

 

[GriffinsRule]

Always looking for a bailout. Pakistan needs to start manufacturing. There is no other way for them to build an economy and fix unemployment

 

[Sugarcane]

Overseas Pakistanis should mind their own business, because if need arises no resident Pakistani will come forward to help them.

 

[TNT]

Already overseas pakistanis provide highest income for the country, when will the country do something for them?
Not to forget those overseas Pakistanis left Pakistan in first place because they were not given on merit what they deserved, why should they fund the incompetence of the govt? They would rather contribute to the countries they reside in, as they get more support from them.
There is never shortage of funds for perks of politicians and bureaucrats, never have i seen shortage when 17, 18 and 19 scale bureaucrats claim hundreds of thousands just as travel allowance, no shortage of fuel for useless govt officers, no shortage of vehicles. Its always the common ppl that face shortage.

 

[masterchief_mirza]

My advice would be to Pakistan that immediate allocation of resources to the best engineering department in the country be granted and any leading anesthesiologist in the country be pulled away from hospital to assist this engineering team. They need to come up with a basic rudimentary automated ventilation device within the next week, inshAllah before itu wards become flooded with patients.

This is the priority above all other things.

Regarding expats and diaspora, the stark truth is that many nations are at a far more escalated position on the curve and hence, those folks can't exactly leave the patients in the diaspora countries and hop over to Pakistan.

However, a basic ventilator prototype should be doable if we have any tech or manufacturing base in the country whatsoever.

If the above is not possible for whatever reason, then China must be lobbied hard for these basic variants of ventilation machines.

 

[CrazyZ]

They can provide money. Set up some donation mechanism for oversees Pakistani's.