VIOLENCE AND CRIME DURING LOCKDOWN

Abstract

Background: Objective: It was around 11 pm on a Saturday when we heard that another GSW has been received in our preoperative bay. It was our fourth gunshot injury in the last 6 hours. One gunshot victim was already being operated upon with multiple visceral injuries, another was being resuscitated for surgery as he had vascular injury in one of his lower limbs. The third one had arrived with a GSW on the left side of the chest with undetectable pressures. Now the fourth one arrived who was also BPless, pulseless and was unconscious. This was Saturday night in Lahore where there has been a strict Lockdown order for more than a week now and everyone was advised to stay at home. Apart from these firearm injuries we also received 4 stab wound injuries, with 3 of them undergoing major surgery. While everyone was at there homes enjoying their weekend, our surgical and anesthesia teams were busy saving the lives of these unfortunate victims. Recently there has been a continuous increase in confirmed cases of COVID 19 in Pakistan and also the death rate too. As this article is being written total cases in our country have been around 9565 confirmed cases with more than 200 deaths while globally total cases amounting around two and a half million (1). Yet other disorders persist unabated, such as weapon accidents. At a minimum, at the average level, interpersonal conflict takes place; at worst, aggression escalates. So this is how it sounds for us both to work in metropolitan trauma centers. Latest details back this assertion. Street crimes have been on a rise too. Over the past nearly three weeks, hundreds of people were mugged and destroyed their cell phones, vehicles, and bikes. According to a police survey that contained details from March 20 to April 7, at least 379 cell phones and 31 bikes were stolen, although there were 1,049 robberies. The 19-day cycle also involves the 16-day lockout. Three vehicles were snatched, and 28 thefts happened during the lockdown across Sindh to suppress the coronavirus pandemic. CCTV videos of robberies at convenience shops and supermarkets continue to emerge in different markets (2).