ISLAMABAD, Nov 17: The Ministry of Health would recruit 484 the doctors and paramedical staff under a crash programme for early rehabilitation of earthquake victims who have either lost their limbs or suffered spinal injuries. This was stated by Mohammad Nasir Khan, federal health minister at a press conference here on Thursday.

Giving the details of the new posts to be advertised soon, he said that 25 psychiatrists (BS-18), 50 psychologists (BS-17), 100 medical officer/doctors (BS-17), 20 occupational physiotherapists (BS- 17), 10 radiographers (BS-9), five operation theatre technicians (BS-9) and 10 physio technicians (BS-6) would be appointed on two-year contract.

Besides this, the ministry had already advertised 700 posts of nurses which would be recruited through walk-in interviews, he added.

The minister said the health ministry was working to provide artificial limbs to amputees.

A United Kingdom-based society had finalized arrangements to soon provide limbs to 80 amputees, Mr Khan said, adding that it had already set up required machinery in Ayub Medical College Abbottabad.

The minister said another group was planning to provide artificial limbs to 100 affected people in Muzaffarabad.

About sanitary conditions of the relief camps both in Azad Kashmir and North West Frontier Province earthquake affected areas, he said the government had appointed Gen Karamat as head of the committee which would check the sanitary environment of all the camps.

The minister said five teams had been sent to AJK and NWFP quake-hit areas and all the camps would be checked by Friday evening, and classified according to the sanitary conditions.

Mr Khan said prime minister Shaukat Aziz visited Jalalabad camp in Muzafferabad on Wednesday and found the sanitary conditions unsatisfactory. The garbage disposal from the relief camps was crucial to prevent spread of diseases in the quake affected areas, he added.