ISLAMABAD, Nov 2: Prime minister Shaukat Aziz said on Wednesday that the government in collaboration with the World Bank was preparing a damage assessment report of the Oct 8 earthquake and its aftermath which will be presented in the proposed international donors conference being held in Islamabad on Nov 19.
The prime minister, who presided over a meeting to review the relief, rescue and reconstruction work as well as the arrangements of donors conference, was informed that so far 73,000 deaths had been confirmed due to the devastating earthquake in AJK and the NWFP.
Chairman of Earthquake Evaluation and Rehabilitation Authority (EERA) and the federal relief Commissioner briefed about the relief, rescue, rebuilding and rehabilitation programme being planned by the government.
Premier Aziz said on the occasion that the government had now started to focus on rebuilding plans whereas the relief, rescue and reconstruction efforts will also go parallel and it would be a continued process as long as it was required.
The prime minister appreciated the efforts of Authority and Federal Relief Commission.
Mr Aziz said the government was fully committed to the complete rehabilitation of earthquake victims.
Meanwhile, the prime minister also launched a psychological services programme and set up a National Task Force for Psychological Services and Trauma Counselling for Earthquake victims to ensure effective implementation.
A special cell will be set up at the ministry of health to coordinate the activities of Task Force and the programme. The Task Force will be headed by Riaz Fatyana, MNA and consultant psychologist.
Addressing the meeting premier Aziz said that the first phase of relief and rescue operation was going on and now an advanced stage was being undertaken in which food, medicines and shelters had been provided to a large number of people, and serious patients had been brought to the hospitals.
He said the government was aware that in the affected areas, psychological problems, severe mental disorders another related diseases were spreading among the survivors which could have long lasting impact on their lives in the coming years. The Task Force has submitted both long term and short term measures and decided to set up three centres at Islamabad, Mansehra and Muzaffarabad to cater to the needs of the victims.
It has also been decided that the Task Force would organize two-day workshops for master trainers in Islamabad, Mansehra and Muzaffarabad immediately after Eid.
These master trainers will include youth, paramedical staff, NGOs workers particularly the primary schools teachers.
The prime minister was informed that 65 relief camps and 21 hospitals had been established in the quake- hit areas so far and that volunteers would be placed in these relief camps and hospitals to restore the patients psychologically. These psychologists would be asked to visit far- flung areas before snowfall started. The Task Force would start functioning immediately, he added.
