Mysterious drop in number of tests

The Ministry of National Health Services' data showed on April 28, 2020 that the number of tests for the coronavirus pandemic had inexplicably come down in all the provinces, with the notable exception of Sindh. The southern province reported 341 of the 751 new cases detected on that day. The ministry's graph reveals that for almost a week, Sindh has conducted the most tests, i.e., around 3,000 a day. In comparison, Punjab, with over 60 percent of the entire country's population, has only managed 2,000 tests per day. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa comes in at 1,000 tests per day, while 300 tests per day is the score for Balochistan and 400 for Islamabad, the federal capital. Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah was able, perhaps because of these facts, to treat us to the good news on April 29, 2020 that the incidence of infected cases had fallen to almost half in the province compared to the previous days. Inevitably almost, this discrepancy elicited a fresh war of words between the ruling party in Sindh and the federal government that has been the norm since the crisis began. On April 28, 2020, the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) central information secretary, Nafisa Shah, wondered aloud whether the fewer tests in the rest of the country since April 24, 2020 was intended to 'artificially flatten the curve' of infections, thereby fostering a false sense of security (and hope) amongst the people of the other provinces. Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Health Dr Zafar Mirza, while talking to the press, responded by denying this was a deliberate attempt to keep the figures artificially low. While admitting the tests for Punjab were reduced, Dr Mirza tried to extend the assurance that this was just for a few days. He asserted that since the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaaf (PTI) government was going to implement the Tracking, Testing and Quarantining (TTQ) policy, the number of tests would increase manifold in coming days. But he then tried to slip in the (dubious) argument that the number of tests could have decreased because of a lesser number of suspected infections (an assertion not backed by any factual data).

One train of thought has it that the PTI government may well have reduced the number of tests in the rest of the country (barring Sindh) in order to 'save' the relatively few testing kits for use by its much touted Corona Tiger Force that Prime Minister Imran Khan had announced some days ago but which has yet to be seen taking practical shape. Whether there is any truth to this speculation or not, concern cannot be avoided over the unexplained (satisfactorily, at least) drop in the levels of testing. As it is, Pakistan's creaking healthcare system is under stress because of the growing number of infections throughout the country. If tests are being avoided or reduced for some spurious objective such as the launch of the Tiger Force, this provides little comfort to a concerned citizenry battered by (partial) lockdowns, unemployment, inflation (especially food items) and uncertainty about the future. Surely, the government should be pulling out all the stops to test (whether under TTQ or otherwise) in order to reassure the populace that the government is sparing no effort in its battle against the coronavirus pandemic. As it is, the perception has taken hold in the public mind that the mixed, confused messaging of the government since the crisis started reflects confusion, hesitation and floundering at a moment requiring decisive policy and action. The PTI government is not helping its own case by its dithering attitude. It must be seen to be and to actually be leading the fight against the pandemic, not trailing behind the deadly virus' march.