December 12, 2006	Tuesday	Ziqa'ad 20, 1427

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LAHORE, Dec 11: Chief Minister Pervaiz Elahi has said that Rescue 1122 service is playing an exemplary role in dealing with emergency situations and will be made operational in 11 big cities by June next.

He was speaking at a meeting held here on Monday to review the performance of the Punjab Emergency Rescue Service.

He said it was playing an effective role in providing timely relief to the people in distress situations and had provided service to 36,252 accident victims so far. The rescue staff had been trained to reach the emergency spot within seven minutes of receiving a telephone call and transport the victim to hospital after providing first aid. The emergency staff would also be provided disaster management training in future.

He stressed the need for an effective liaison between Rescue 1122 and the hospitals and extending the service to all parts of the city besides opening of a rescue centre in the walled city. He also stressed on making special arrangements for neurosurgery in 11 teaching hospitals in the province. Head injury patients should be treated on priority basis setting aside all the procedural formalities. He directed the health secretary to ensure improvement in arrangements for treatment and rehabilitation of the mental patients and upgrade the mental hospital.

The chief minister said the Punjab Emergency Council had been constituted to achieve the objective of “Safe Punjab.” The council, headed by him and Dr Rizwan Naseer as secretary, had been created under an act and would be responsible for tackling all the matters related to accidents. It would be a permanent institution and play an important role in making the emergency services effective.

He said a system was being introduced for new traffic management in the province which would not only regulate traffic but also decrease the incidence of accidents. People involved in wheelie would be arrested and the police officer of the area would be held responsible for failure to control it. Traffic licensing system was also being improved and driving and licensing institutes would be set up in the entire district.

The Punjab Emergency Service director-general briefed the chief minister about the performance of Rescue 1122 during the meeting attended by chief secretary Salman Siddique, Planning and Development chairman Suleman Ghani, Inspector General of Police Ziaul Hasan, health secretary Javed Malik, Local Government secretary Akhlaq Ahmad Tarar, relief secretary Brig Ghazanfar Ali (retired), transport secretary Agha Nadeem, Jinnah Hospital medical superintendent Dr Zahid Pervaiz and MPA Farida Suleri, Samiullah Khan and Ghulam Haider Bari.

Durrani: Federal Information Minister Muhammad Ali Durrani met Chief Minister Pervaiz Elahi here on Monday and discussed matters of mutual interest and political situation prevailing in the country.

They agreed that there would be no alliance with the Pakistan People’s Party.

Mr Durrani said next general election would be held on time and in a fair and impartial manner.

The federal minister also thanked the chief minister for providing land for starting Pakistan Television centre at Multan.

He said the new centre would help strengthen the media role in society, adding that it would be beneficial for the district, especially its rural population.