October 16, 2005	Sunday	Ramzan 11, 1426

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ABBOTTABAD, Oct 15: Thousands of earthquake victims have been deprived of relief assistance due to lack of proper management of relief materials and personnel, according to residents here.

Whatever individual efforts were made should have been better organized by either the army or the district administration, they said. The local administration hasn’t been able to cope with the situation which requires at least organized efforts to reach out to the trapped people, they added.

There has been no let-up in the movement of relief goods from the lower parts of the country and the flow of vehicles carrying relief goods is increasing on a fast note but all efforts seem to be wasted as either these are looted or dumped at one spot and almost 80 per cent affectees of Mansehra, Abbottabad, Battagram and Kohistan districts have been unable to get their share because no relief operation could be started in other areas which suffered similar destruction.

PML-Q parliamentary leader Mushtaq Ahmed Ghani who belongs to Abbottabad district has shown dissatisfaction over the pace of relief operations and has demanded that the federal and provincial governments carry out the work on a war footing and ensure that all government departments function in tandem with one another and not as a disjointed lot.

Mr Ghani has called upon the government to provide all the affected families temporary shelter in government buildings. He said the basic requirements of the affectees should be kept in mind in the relief operation.

“Until now only 250 tents, 700 blankets and 150 bags of food with four cartons have officially been given by the cabinet division to the DCO Abbottabad for onward distribution,” he said.

The management of Ayub Medical Complex has requested donors to provide medicines and equipment used by the orthopaedic patients including rods Nos 8, 9 and 10 and screws needed for multiple fractures.

In the list of medicines, the hospital requires medicines like Disclofenic, Sosegan, TT, Zinacef 250 mg, Cepores (All inj), Dydine Solution, Crep Bandage, Roll Bandage, External Fixture, cotton rolls, Gypsawana Plaster 4, Gypsawan Plaster 6 and chest tubes.

At least 60 patients from Ayub Medical Complex were taken to Lady Reading Hospital and other hospitals in Peshawar.

At present, more than 700 patients are receiving treatment in Ayub Medical Complex and dozens more are pouring in. Both the operating theatres of Ayub Medical Complex are working round the clock.

“The Sindh Institute of Urology Treatment has established a small unit of urology under the supervision of Professor Dr.Adeeb Rizvi where 6 dialysis machines are providing treatment. Till date more than 150 patients have been treated.

The SUIT team comprises 25 doctors including three professors, 3 associate professors, 6 registrars, anesthesia specialists, nurses and consultants.

The lives of at least six patients were saved by the SUIT unit, according to Dr Adeeb Rizvi.

The Punjab Institute of Cardiology in Lahore has also established one unit at CCU with an 8-member team comprising senior doctors and paramedics. They are also providing free medicines to patients.

Forty-one operations have been conducted by the doctors of POF Wah at Wah hospital while a total of 118 patients have been treated after being airlifted from Abbottabad, Balakot and Azad Kashmir.

Eight trucks loaded with different goods were sent by POF Wah to Abbottabad and Shinkiyari.

One of the surgeons performed a five-hour operation and saved the life of one Swera of Bagh at POF Wah.

A large number of organizations have also established camps at Ayub Medical Complex and have been providing food and clothing to patients and earthquake affectees.

Almost all the mobile phone companies have set up free counters for patients and relatives of quake victims.

Countless pharmaceutical firms have opened their stalls and have been providing free medicines to patients.

Soft drink, bread and mineral water manufacturing companies have also opened free sales points at Ayub Medical Complex.

Due to overflow of rescue workers and relief good carriers, there has been a shortage of packed milk, soft drinks and mineral water in the city.

Since Hazara’s poultry farms were badly damaged in the quake, there is an acute shortage of chicken in Abbottabad and other parts of Hazara.

Fuel shortage is also reported in Mansehra and other parts of Hazara as due to damage of petrol pumps and power breakdown, acute shortage of diesel and petrol is reported for which special measures required by the oil companies in the area to provide oil and lubricants through drums and alternative arrangements.

Shortage of tents has been reported for which DCO Abbottabad has told Dawn that the All Pakistan Hosiery Manufacturers Association from Faisalabad has informed that a special charter plan has been arranged from China to shift the tents. Consignments will be reaching and three shifts are running to meet the blanket requirements.

Comsats Institute of Information Technology has established a special centre and has compiled the data of injured and admitted patients which can be checked from the Comsats website.

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