January 27, 2006	Friday	Zilhaj 26, 1426

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ISLAMABAD, Jan 26: The World Health Organization (WHO) on Thursday announced that it would create diagnostic laboratories in all quake-stricken districts. Speaking at a meeting on preventive and curative measures for earthquake affected population in relief camps, Dr Khalif Bile Mehmud also said his organization would establish emergency ambulance service in the quake-stricken districts, and suggested that relief operations should not be suspended till mid spring.

Speaking on the occasion Secretary Health Syed Anwar Mehmood also spelt out federal government’s policy of extending medical facilities to the earthquake affected people living in relief camps till their return to their normal life.

“No one should live in camps for an indefinite period therefore an enabling environment should be created to help these people live a dignified life,” the secretary observed and said all possible medical care would continue to keep the camps a safe place to live.

The meeting also recommended improvement in water quality and sanitary conditions to prevent epidemics and discouraging disposal of waste in open.

While proposing increase in number of sanitary workers, the meeting also proposed to reduce pit latrines and convert these into flush ones and recommended increasing female healthcare staff including doctors.

The participants were informed that drugs would be made available to the camps where they were insufficient while ensuring regular monitoring of drugs quality and expiry dates.

Appreciating the services of health care providers, Anwar Mehmood said, soon after the devastated earthquake, doctors and paramedics took up the challenge and helped the people in the hour of need.

He recalled that the WHO had acknowledged the performance of Pakistan’s health sector and quoted Dr Khalif Bile as saying that there were very few examples in the world that a natural disaster had been handled in such an effective way.

Supply and safety of water was also ensured from the very beginning with the help of the WHO and Unicef, he said adding prevention of epidemic indicated that situation was under total control in relief camps owing to untiring efforts of the health providers.

“The immunization and spraying campaigns were successful and helped prevent outbreak of diseases in the affected areas,” he said.

Regarding deployment of additional staff in the camps, he said, hundreds of doctors and nurses from the Punjab and Sindh were taken to the affected areas to meet the challenge, but said doctors and paramedics from AJK and NWFP would have to come forward and take the responsibility to help their own people.

He was hopeful that weaknesses and gaps would be covered with better planning.

Earlier, Director General National Institute of Health, K A Karamat, said the purpose of this meeting was to review status of activities carried out in the affected districts to share experiences learnt from this disaster and to develop future strategy especially with regard to the camp management.

The meeting also apprised the provincial and district health departments and other related agencies to formulate a road map for prevention and control of any outbreak in the camps.

More than 165 biological samples have been received from earthquake affected areas which were analyzed and their results were dispatched to the quarters concerned, he said.