Not all heroes wear capes. There are people who have given their life to something bigger than themselves. They are just around us to help out even in the most extreme circumstances, ensure our safety when adversity hits, and voluntarily walk into the unknown to make this world a better place to live.
August 19 is marked as World Humanitarian Day every year to commemorate the people who lost their lives in humanitarian service and to celebrate those currently working to help people stricken by different crises and disasters around the world. However, this time the World Humanitarian Day is being marked in a different world, a world almost reshaped in the wake of coronavirus pandemic. There has never been such a time in the recent human history when virtually everyone on planet Earth had been under threat from the same enemy. In the recent weeks and months, the entire world has been racing against time to contain the spread of Covid-19 by testing and treating patients, limiting travels, quarantining citizens and encouraging social distancing. Though the crisis has been curtailed to a certain extent, the fight is still far from over.
The pandemic has drawn attention across the world to the vital role of key workers, especially those employed in healthcare sector. Despite the hardships and health risks, hundreds of thousands of frontline workers have continued to do their jobs during the Covid-19 pandemic, even at the cost of their own lives and safety of their families. Humanitarian workers across the world have been overcoming unprecedented access hurdles to assist people in this crisis. They have been treating and preventing Covid-19, administering medicines, providing food and setting up safe spaces for vulnerable segments of society. Behind each essential service, there are essential people: the everyday heroes. And this time, the World Humanitarian Day is being marked to pay homage to these ‘#RealLifeHeroes’.
Like the rest of the world, the situation had been no different in Pakistan. The nationwide tally of coronavirus cases stands near to 290,000 as of now, with around 6,200 people having already lost their lives. Though situation is a lot better now, fresh cases and deaths are still being reported every day. The monster has been contained to much extent but not defeated yet.
Like other national institutions, the Pakistan Red Crescent Society has also contributed to the government’s anti-coronavirus efforts in a big way. Under the leadership of PRCS Chairman Abrar ul Haq, a number of initiatives were taken to help contain the virus as well as educate the masses about how to avoid contracting the infection. Thousands of ‘#RealLifeHeroes’ of the PRCS burnt the midnight oil to not only save lives by treating coronavirus patients at the Red Crescent Corona Care Hospital in Rawalpindi but also went door to door to ensure no family goes to bed without food. Under the Corona Muhafiz Response Campaign, our heroes tried to connect the ‘haves’ and the ‘have-nots’, made affluent families share food with their deserving neighbours, and help build psychological resilience among those who were going through a state of emotional insecurity as a result of prevalent environment due to lockdown. These heroes made citizens realize that they are not alone but that the Pakistan Red Crescent Society is standing by them. They fought on the information front also, replacing myths and misinformation circulating on social media with authentic scientific information. Thousands of Red Crescent Muhafiz Force heroes fanned out in dozens of cities to collect food and monetary contributions, build psychological resilience among the scared people and provide them with correct scientific information about the disease. These heroes visited mosques, churches and temples in a short span of time and by using amplifiers, they exhorted the well-to-do families to donate cooked food, dry ration, and money for the poor families and those rendered jobless due to the lockdown.
At state-of-the-art Red Crescent Corona Care Hospital, set up within a record period of 18 days in Rawalpindi, our healthcare heroes worked 24/7 to treat hundreds of patients, taking the best care of them. A PRCS task force comprising psychiatrists provided psychosocial support to the Covid-19 patients at the hospital round the clock.
Here I would especially like to mention one of our ‘#RealLifeHeroes’ who even sacrificed his own life in a bid to save many others. Mr Muhammad Amir Nasir would work at PRCS Regional Blood Donor Centre at NHQ in Islamabad and had been very active in arranging much-needed blood donations for thalassemia patients as well as those in urgent need amid coronavirus pandemic when the supply of blood had reduced almost to zero. He caught the virus in the line of duty, remained hospitalized for over a month but lost the battle on July 24. “I am desperate to join my duty back … my life is important, but so are those who are in urgent need of blood,” were his words the moment he was temporarily put off oxygen support at the hospital. But, destiny had something else in store for him. He left for his final abode, leaving his kids crying for a loving father and his parents for an obedient and respectful son. Today, he is not among us but his services for humanity will continue to inspire and motivate many for long. People like Amir are the ‘#RealLifeHeroes’ and surely deserve a big salute.
Today, as the international community marks World Humanitarian Day, we pay special tribute to such real-life heroes who have committed their lives to helping others in the most extreme circumstances. Playing an integral role in our daily lives, our everyday heroes have worked on the front lines without even caring for their own lives. If there is anything that has spread faster than the coronavirus during the pandemic, it has been the recognition of these heroes. Across the globe, people have been regularly clapping and cheering to thank these key frontline workers for their effort and courage in facing the threat of Covid-19 in their daily work. They really deserve all our thanks and appreciation. Thank you all our heroes for standing behind us in these testing times. Thank you Mr Muhammad Amir Nasir for sacrificing your life to save many others.
The writer is the Secretary General of Pakistan Red Crescent Society
