Muhammad Sohail Ahmed
LAST week Shoukat Ali got admitted to hospital. He sang motivational poetry for the nation and the Armed Forces when pitched against Indian aggression during 1965 and 1971 wars. His lever got infected and several ministers visited him to enquire after his well-being. He is a celebrity with pride of performance medal from the government of Pakistan. What should be done for him? He has requested for financial support, probably to meet the hospital expenses. In the past, celebrities have died after passing through protracted illness. Some other individuals saved money for a rainy day. The King of Egypt at the time of Hazrat Yousuf {A.S] saw a dream which showed seven weak cows eating seven strong cows. The explanation given by Hazrat Yousuf was to start saving the grains and consume only the necessary quantity. Thereafter the draught would set in and people of Egypt would be required to consume the stowed grains during the drought. The King took the advice and the people managed to survive the drought.
Why it is necessary to deliberate on health care? Because every one of us has to die one day. Some people die after a protracted illness. It is a common issue and the solution must be deliberated collectively. Many people talk about it. Dialogue brings about useful results. In the Holy Quran, Allah also addresses the human being and informs him that it is Him who brings illness and then the cure also. It is, therefore, necessary to pray for the recovery of the patients. In the case of hardships, it is advised to bear it with ‘sabr’ {patience or perseverance}. Besides, if we analyse the life of celebrities we find that some people do not think and plan, they work according to the famous adage ‘Easy Come Easy Go’. One of the most common ways of wasting wealth is to fall in love with some new star (celebrity in the making) and just throw it away in a reckless manner. Being spendthrift and adopting an expensive lifestyle to show off is a malady that brings numerous problems. It is at times possible to purchase an expensive house or car but the issue comes with sustainability as expensive commodities need expenditure for maintenance. Even at global level the term sustainable growth or sustainable development has the same premise for nations and their development programmes.
A short story by famous writer Ashfaq Ahmed brings about the story of a celebrity named ‘Master Roshi’ who was a stage singer, performer and famous artiste of his time. His fans loved him from all strata of life. When he grew in age to be retired and fell ill, he needed money to support himself which he got from the government as a monthly stipend. A special radio programme was arranged to pay him tribute as well as to draw the attention of the government and the society towards his appalling state. In the last part of the story, an insignificant Ba-Ba visits the comparer to introduce himself with no pressing demands from anyone. A carpenter by profession, having lost his son in the 1965 war against India, losing his vision due to citric with no one to support from the family, he appears content with himself. A friend’s courtyard and a wealthy neighbours financial support makes his life ‘happy’. Conversely, master Roshi continues to complain around without looking back at his follies. He also gives a message to the Pakistani government to start a health-care programme for all and sundry. Every citizen has an equal right. In the Riasat-e-Madina, Hazrat Umer {R.A} feared Allah that if a dog dies of thirst near the river Euphrates, he will be answerable to Allah. It was his responsibility that he launched a social welfare programme. This was later on copied in the West.
The present government also vowed to re-establish Riasat-e-Madina in Pakistan following the footsteps of the Holy Prophet {PBUH}. Besides providing jobs, houses and businesses, the youth should be provided with a health security plan. Other systems of treatment like Hakeem Muhammad Saeed’s Hamdard Dawakhana should be further expanded with government public partnership. He had brought all inherited knowledge and the prescriptions along with him from Delhi at the time of independence. Later Indian sponsored terrorists assassinated him in front of his clinic. New trusts should be established to provide health care as well as new jobs to the youth. It is also very important to remember those brothers and sisters who need health-care and immediate treatment but are being denied their basic right of medical care. One such celebrity is Syed Ali Gilani, the Huriyat Conference Kashmiri leader who has been under arrest since 5 Aug 2019. In his letter to the Prime Minister of Pakistan, he thanked him for highlighting the issue of Kashmiris in the Indian-occupied Kashmir at the UN. He also stated that this could be his last letter as his health was not satisfactory. The matter needs to be taken up with international medical care organisations. A diplomatic mission should be sent to important countries to apprise them of the Indian policies. In order to improve health facilities, there is a need to construct hospital ships and stationed all along the coastal belt of Pakistan to provide medical treatment in the far-flung areas of Sindh and Baluchistan. These ships would also be available to meet any emergency or natural calamity-hit country or region. Philanthropy, government and Pakistan Navy can join in coordination with volunteers to elevate Pakistan in the community of nations. Private-public partnership can bring about required funds. We all pray for the early recovery of all the patients and hope that the government of Pakistan introduces a viable health-care scheme for the entire society on an equal basis.
—The author is a freelance writer and Retired commodore of Pakistan Navy.
