Episode 35: COVID-19 Special Series with the High Commissioner of Pakistan, Rukhsana Afzaal

Pakistan, like many countries, found itself unprepared for COVID-19 when it struck. More than 90 per cent of the cases in Pakistan were imported, and its healthcare system struggled to grapple with the dearth of medical equipment, leading to many Pakistanis being stranded abroad. In Singapore, migrant workers are mostly from India and Bangladesh, so the number of Pakistani infected cases has been few — most of the country’s blue-collar workers are in the Gulf.

In this episode, we speak to HE Rukhsana Afzal about what the Singapore government, local Pakistani community, and global financial organisations are doing to help. This involves, among other things, the development of a mobile app, the diaspora sending home critical supplies, and a global initiative for debt relief.