Pakistan Institute of Development Economics (PIDE) has given recommendations to the government to draft country’s quarantine policy to counter the spread of coronavirus effectively and timely.
The institute has penned down a paper based on certain recommendations that need to be followed by the ruling party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), while drafting a national quarantine policy to effectively address the pandemic.
PIDE suggested that the government shall ensure that the infected patients are kept separately. The institute recommended that the government should not stress the system on people who can afford self-isolation at their homes, although self-quarantine should be adequately regulated, monitored and sanctioned.
The mass quarantine facilities should be appropriately managed to minimise the contagion exposure because of herding. The government can use hotels, educational institutes, sports stadiums, and expo-centres as a space for quarantine centres across the country.
“Quarantine policy must be effectively costed: Quarantine facilitation will reduce the cost by concentrating resources to specified quarantine places. Initially the government can bear the associated cost, later it should be transferred to those quarantined if they can afford it,” the paper read.
The institute further noted that national coordination remained a huge problem everywhere in Pakistan, so decision makers and those implementing should closely cooperate to cope with this pandemic. In the end, PIDE recommended the involvement of Law Enforcement Agencies (LEA’s). It suggested that LEA’s should be taken on board for strict monitoring and maintaining the protocols at quarantine centres contry-wide.
The institute has penned down a paper based on certain recommendations that need to be followed by the ruling party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), while drafting a national quarantine policy to effectively address the pandemic.
PIDE suggested that the government shall ensure that the infected patients are kept separately. The institute recommended that the government should not stress the system on people who can afford self-isolation at their homes, although self-quarantine should be adequately regulated, monitored and sanctioned.
The mass quarantine facilities should be appropriately managed to minimise the contagion exposure because of herding. The government can use hotels, educational institutes, sports stadiums, and expo-centres as a space for quarantine centres across the country.
“Quarantine policy must be effectively costed: Quarantine facilitation will reduce the cost by concentrating resources to specified quarantine places. Initially the government can bear the associated cost, later it should be transferred to those quarantined if they can afford it,” the paper read.
The institute further noted that national coordination remained a huge problem everywhere in Pakistan, so decision makers and those implementing should closely cooperate to cope with this pandemic. In the end, PIDE recommended the involvement of Law Enforcement Agencies (LEA’s). It suggested that LEA’s should be taken on board for strict monitoring and maintaining the protocols at quarantine centres contry-wide.