RAWALPINDI, Nov 1: President Gen Pervez Musharraf said on Tuesday the government was committed to rehabilitation of vulnerable earthquake victims — including orphaned children, widows and disabled persons — through an integrated approach aimed at providing them adequate shelter, education, healthcare and economic opportunities.

He was addressing a meeting which discussed matters related to handling of patients in hospitals, rehabilitation of victims after helping them to overcome the shock, assistance required in their return to their areas as quickly as possible, distribution of compensation and assistance in rebuilding their houses.

The meeting was attended by Health Minister Mohammad Naseer Khan, Minister for Social Welfare and Special Education Zubaida Jalal, Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Aneesa Zeb Taherkheli, Advisor to the Prime Minister on Women Development Neelofar Bakhtiar and Federal Relief Commissioner Maj-Gen Farooq Ahmed Khan.

The meeting stressed that no patient be discharged from hospitals without being registered and after being discharged, they should be taken to affiliated convalescence centres. These centres have been set up in Rawalpindi and Islamabad and will also be established in the quake-affected areas.

It was agreed that after proper identification, orphaned children and those still without their parents, destitute women and those needing rehabilitation would be taken care of by the ministry of social welfare and special education. Others, who find their relatives, will go back to their homes.

The meeting discussed quick distribution of compensation among those individuals and families who need to re-construct houses situated in outlying areas and not in towns and cities.

The meeting was informed that distribution of compensation money would be properly recorded and photographed to obviate any chances of misappropriation.

The president emphasized the need for integrating all efforts to ensure proper health and education facilities and shelter for the orphaned children, widows, and destitute people.

He directed that special care be taken to look after the hospitalized victims and said in addition to the ministries and government departments concerned, the entire society had to come forward to pull them out of shock.

“The government will pay special attention to these people at dedicated centres but all segments of the society, including the non-governmental organizations, should contribute to these efforts, as we have to enable these people to rebuild their lives,” he said. —-APP