QUETTA: The Pakistan Red Crescent (PRC) will set up a state-of-the-art cardiac hospital in Quetta with the support of overseas Pakistanis besides establishing the First Aid Kiosk to meet any emergency.

It was announced by PRC chairman Dr Saeed Elahi on Friday while talking to journalists after meeting Balochistan Chief Minister Sardar Sanaullah Zehri.

Dr Elahi said that Mr Zehri had appreciated the humanitarian services of the PRC, especially in the aftermath of the Quetta Civil Hospital suicide bombing.

He said the PRC staffers were the first to reach the bombing area with six ambulances, paramedics and volunteers led by its provincial branch secretary Dr Imran and they carried out the rescue operation besides donating blood to the injured.

Dr Elahi said that Mr Zehri assured complete support to PRC activities and broadening of its network in the province.

The PRC chairman said that the organisation would provide medicines to basic health units (BHUs) of the province besides reviving its branches in Loralai, Sibi and Kharan.

“The PRC will extend its School Safety Programme across Balochistan and will provide school safety training to teachers and students,” Dr Elahi said, adding that “First Aider in Every Home is our mission and the PRC is efficiently pursuing this mission by providing FA training to communities at district level”.

“The PRC has a pool of 1.7 million volunteers and by the grace of Allah Almighty it will achieve its target of five million volunteers by 2020,” he said.

The PRC chief further said that the PRC took an initiative by signing a Charter of Humanity with Ittehad Tanzemat-i-Madaris Pakistan (A representative body of all religious school of thoughts).

Under the charter, he said, the PRC planned to positively engage the religious community for effective implementation of preventive health care and blood donation advocacy activities.

He said that a National Ambulance Service College had been established in collaboration with National Ambulance Service College of Ireland and it would greatly help in producing emergency paramedics of international standards.

Published in Dawn, September 3rd, 2016