According to one of Balochistan’s top health officials, the tally of corona patients may cross 100,000 within the next few months. At present, the number of recorded patients is 8000 plus, compared to the reported 8000 beds in hospitals and dispensaries of Balochistan. If the government does not take the concerns shown by the officials seriously, the situation could turn into a human tragedy. Despite the efforts of the provincial authorities, the cases are increasing with every passing day. Unfortunately, the political leadership is not paying heed to the opinions of the experts, who are heavily tilted in favour of a complete lockdown to avoid a tragedy on a grand scale.

The provincial government has to decide quickly. Time is of the essence, considering the steady increase in the number of COVID-19 patients. Also, while other provinces may afford any ease in the lockdowns, Balochistan cannot. One wonders how the 132 hospitals in the province, many of which lack the proper facilities to be deemed truly at par with today’s standards will deal with the public health disaster if the tally crosses 100,000.

Therefore, considering the available public health facilities and the overall resources, which are not adequate, the officials need to adopt preventive measures rather than the ‘curing’ approach. They should revive the trust of the people in contacting and seeking help from the government. This will generate quick results though the economic cost of it may be high in the short run. People may also witness the harshest days of their lives. However, going through all these ordeals will bear the fruit sooner. At this moment, health officials can only warn the authorities of the looming crisis. Now the ball is in the provincial government’s court. It has to decide the next step. We have seen before the consequences of ignoring expert advice on critical matters.