Normal life returning to quake-hit areas: WHO
The World Health Organisation’s (WHO) country representative in Pakistan Dr Kahlif Mohammad Bile has said that revival of normal life has begun in the earthquake-hit areas of Pakistan and said that joint efforts of world health bodies were going on in this regard.
He was addressing the handing over ceremony of 12 prefabricated basic health units (BHU) in the quake-hit districts of the NWFP to the provincial government at Ayub Medical College on Saturday, a press release stated.
Dr Bile said that all pre-fabricated units were equipped with the latest machinery, furniture, a vehicle and an ambulance along with three months stock of medicines.
He said that ambulances could be used for other BHUs of the area to facilitate more people, adding that it needed proper care by the district as well as provincial governments. WHO’s Operation Medical Officer for NWFP and FATA Dr Saeed Akbar Khan said the WHO was in contact with the Health Department and was helping it overcome the health problems in the areas.
NWFP Health Secretary Dr Samad Khan said the NWFP government had created 80 vacancies for doctors in the BHUs and hospitals, which would be filled shortly. He announced packages for the health staff in nine districts of the NWFP saying that the specialists working there would be given additional benefit of Rs 20,000, doctors would be given Rs 12,000 and other health staff would be paid Rs 8,000 in addition to their salaries. Regarding the improvement of health infrastructure in the earthquake-hit areas, Dr Khan said the NWFP government had already started long and short term plans for the revival of health facilities and said that work had been started in the area, in collaboration with donors.
Later in a technical session, WHO officials Dr AF Shadool, Naureen Ghafoor and Dr Abdul Majid presented plans for the practical implementation of different health packages for the BHUs, management of essential drugs and an early warning system for diseases.
Source: Daily Times
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