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| December 14, 2005 | Wednesday | Ziqa’ad 11, 1426 |
Cuban doctors playing key role in alleviating sufferings of quake survivors ISLAMABAD, Dec 14 (APP): Cuba has sent over 1,000 doctors and nurses from its Henry Reeve International Medical Contingent to help alleviate the sufferings of the quake survivors and make up the largest medical contingent working in the affected areas, Workers world news reported Wednesday. The Cuban contingent has 17 field hospitals in action and plans to set up another 13. Cuba's deputy minister of foreign affairs, Bruno Rodriguez said the contingent has 789 doctors, about half of them specialists with experience in natural disasters, 315 paramedics, all university graduates or technicians, and 128 backup staff. These include 80 engineers who set up ultrasound, electrocardiograms, x-rays and clinical laboratories equipment. All Cuban medical personnel were living under the same conditions as their patients.(Posted @ 21:18 PST)
Life returning to Pakistani miracle quake survivor MUZAFFARABAD, Azad Kashmir, Dec 14 (AFP) Most of her muscles are withered, she cannot speak and she is mentally damaged but doctors believe the Kashmiri woman who survived 63 days under freezing rubble after Pakistan's deadly earthquake will live. Naqsha Bibi, reduced to a skeleton, lies on a hospital bed in the intensive care unit set up by the Pakistan Islamic Medical Association in Muzaffarabad. Unmarried Naqsha looks a virtual corpse lying on her bed. "She is in a psychological trauma. She sometime smiles at us and she strives to utter a word but she cannot speak. We are watching her," a doctor said. Another doctor at the field hospital, Hafeezur Rehman, said more than 80 percent of Naqsha's muscles are wasted. "The body is very stiff and there is no flexibility." After physiotherapy there are signs of improvement and she has started to take some liquids. "Now we have starting giving her solid meals as well," he said.(Posted @ 16:30 PST)
Progress on relief, rehabilitation of quake victims reviewed ISLAMABAD, Dec 14 (APP): Adviser to PM on Finance and Economic Affairs Dr. Salman Shah Tuesday had a meeting with international donors and representatives from multilateral organizations including World Bank, ADB, DFID-UK, USAID, JBIC Japan and UNDP to review the progress on relief and rehabilitation of earthquake victims of AJK and NWFP.The meeting decided to prepare a document listing all the projects to be launched in coming months covering different fields including education, health, housing, power, planning, water supply and sanitation. The World bank and donor agencies agreed to extend technical support to ERRA for capacity building and planning of projects covering the above sectors. The meeting was informed that till date 37,000 houses were constructed/rehabilitated by the army while 15,000 by NGOs. Also, Governor Punjab had promised to provide 25,000 workers including masons for construction work in AJK and NWFP.(Posted @ 09:30 PST)
Manchester's Mayor visiting Pakistan LONDON, Dec 14(APP)-Lord Mayor of Manchester Councillor Mohammad Afzal Khan left here Tuesday for Pakistan on two- week visit to know how Manchester could help reconstruct the quake-ravaged areas. He is heading a delegation of charity workers and business representatives from 10 Greater Manchester Councils (AGMA)which would visit quake-destroyed areas and meet AJK Prime Minister Sardar Sikandar Hayat and others.(Posted @ 09:30 PST)
UN quake appeal only 40 per cent funded UNITED NATIONS, Dec 14 (APP)- The United Nations relief appeal for the Oct 8 earthquake in Pakistan faces a shortfall of some 60 per cent. Funds for the $550 million appeal have reached $209.2 million, or 38 per cent, UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) spokesperson Elizabeth Byrs told a news briefing in Geneva Tuesday, according to details made available at UN Headquarters in New York. With $22.7 million in pledges included, the funding stands at 42 per cent. As part of its winterization campaign, UNHCR has so far distributed 322,904 blankets, 60,875 plastic sheets, 3,751 stoves and 1,209 sleeping bags. An additional 250,025 blankets, 77,281 plastic sheets and 28,993 stoves are on their way.(Posted @ 09:15 PST)
10586 truckloads for quake-hit areas LAHORE, Dec 14 (APP): 37 more truck loads of relief goods Were dispatched on Tuesday from various districts of Punjab to the quake affectees of Azad Kashmir and NWFP, says a handout. The relief goods included edibles,blankets and tents. This brings the total 10,586 trucks of relief items(Posted @ 09:15 PST)
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