February 24, 2008	Sunday	Safar 16, 1429

Nisar Ahmad Khan

MANSEHRA, Feb 23: The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Saturday handed over seven prefabricated Mother and Child Health Facilities (MCHF) to the district health department.

The MCHFs would provide healthcare to mother and child as most of the basic health units and rural health centres were destroyed due to October 8, 2005 devastating earthquake.

Representative of the UNFPA Dr France Donnay handed over keys and documents of the prefabricated Mother and Child Centers to the EDO (Health) Dr Mohammad Jawed at a ceremony held here at the EDO (Health) office.

Speaking on the occasion, the UNFPA District Coordinator Dr Mohammad Ali said UNFPA with the collaboration of IOM has facilitated the construction of 75 heath houses for the lady health workers (LHW) in the earthquake zone, where the LHWs were providing primary mother and child healthcare.

Dr Mohammad Ali said that in the October 8, 2005 earthquake most of the Basic Health Centres and Rural Health Centres had been destroyed but the UNFPA did its best to provide health facilities to the survivors in the far-flung areas of the district.

Dr Ali further said despite the establishment of MCHF, the UNFPA will set-up bath centres in the affected areas with the financial assistance of the international donors to cope with the water and all other related problems.