ISLAMABAD, Nov 14: The United Nation Fund for Poverty Alleviation (UNFPA) on Monday pledged to establish and strengthen mother and child hospitals (MCH) in the earthquake-hit regions. This was stated by UNFPA Country Representative, Dr France Donney at a meeting here with the Federal Health Minister, Muhammad Nasir Khan. Secretary Health, Syed Anwar Mehmood was also present on the occasion.

The UNFPA Country Director presented hygiene and sanitation kits to the health minister. She said that 200,000 such kits were being distributed among childbearing women through lady health workers (LHW) in earthquake-hit areas.

The objective of distributing the kits was to promote personal hygiene among women to protect them from contagious diseases and infections. She said that 40,000 delivery kits were also being distributed through LHW and health facilities to pregnant women of the affected areas for encouraging safe deliveries.

The UNFPA would also provide as many as 150 pre- fabricated health houses to lady health workers in the quake-hit areas of Mansehra and Muzaffarabad.

The representative also said that the need to further expand Maternal and Child Health services in view of expected 9,000 births every month in quake-hit areas and said that the UNFPA would provide 15 pre-fabricated MCH units along with residential areas to be placed in tehsil headquarter hospitals and rural health centres of Mansehra, Muzaffarabad and Battagram in the initial stage.

There were nine mobile MCH units of UNFPA functioning in Bagh, Muzaffarabad and Mansehra in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, for provision of MCH services, she said. Ten new MCH mobile units would be placed in quake hit areas after consultations with the Ministry of Health.

She also pledged to provide financial assistance to Ministry of Health to recruit Women Medical Officers, Nurses and lady health visitors for deployment in Mansehra, Muzaffarabad, Bagh and Battagram.

The UNFPA representative also said that required resources would be made available for capacity building of lady health workers in quake-hit regions for promotion of primary health care services and disclosed that training of lady health workers had already been initiated after directions from health minister.

The Minister was informed that LHW, Lady Health Supervisors and District Health Officers would be provided with 10,000 radio sets and 1,500 mobile sets for maintaining effective communication.

The secretary health, Syed Anwar Mehmood stressed the need of closer collaboration between UNFPA and the ministry for better services and results.