Pakistan: More travel bans

As if things could not get any worse for our image abroad, Pakistanis look set to face even more restrictions and bans when it comes to travelling abroad. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has implemented its threat to impose strict curbs on Pakistanis’ travel to foreign lands. An emergency committee of the WHO made its recommendations and, on Monday, the announcement was made to stop the spread of the poliovirus by slapping travel bans on Pakistan, Cameroon and Syria where the disease was most reported. Out of the many recommendations, in all probability, it will be made mandatory for all international travellers to have a polio vaccination certificate verifying that the traveller has had polio drops administered at least four weeks prior to travel. If anyone is travelling urgently, then the vaccine should be taken by them at the earliest before departure. The Pakistan government has responded by saying that it will set up immunisation points at airports and all points of exit in the country. How they actually plan to do that — a mammoth undertaking — is a big question. Besides, will immunisation immediately prior to departure at airports be acceptable to other countries? The planning, coordination and organisation of our government authorities, especially in matters of social welfare, are abysmal. We have been unable to curb the spread of the disease in our own country where 59 cases have already sprung up in this year alone.

Would it not have been better for those in charge to have taken responsibility and prevented this outcome where Pakistan is being ostracised internationally? Instead of having to go through what will no doubt be debilitating repercussions for all of Pakistan’s citizens, should the government not have taken the spread of polio seriously? Should those in charge not have come down hard on the militants who were first spreading lies and propaganda about the vaccines and then resorting to murderous campaigns against health workers risking their lives to immunise children? Should we not have acted then? It is all very good that now we are thumping our chests and assuring the international community that we will set up check points and administer drops to all travellers but should we not have avoided this calamity? Even if we digress from talking about international travel, when will we consider the toll this is taking on our children who are being crippled by the spread of this disease? We are becoming a heartless nation for not helping them, and the world is now recognising that sad reality.