ISLAMABAD, Oct 30: Federal Secretary Health Syed Anwar Mahmood has directed officials of the ministry attached departments and autonomous bodies dealing with quake relief to remain on duty during the Eid holidays.

No official stationed in the twin-cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi working for quake relief shall leave the station, he said while chairing a meeting of the National Disaster Management Committee here on Sunday.

Secretary health expressed his gratitude to the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF for their continued assistance and technical support in the operation.

The meeting was informed that Reckitt Benckiser has donated Rs5 million in relief items which includes Rs2.5 million worth of direly needed chlorine tablets.

The meeting was also informed that a high level Iranian delegation pledged to provide two specialised mobile artificial limb units.

The efforts of foreign medical teams were lauded during the meeting.

Special mention was made of a German maxio-facial surgeon, Ali Raza Ghassemi, who has carried out some very complicated operations on quake victims at Pims.

PATIENTS FIGURES: As on Sunday the total figure of patients from quake-hit areas registered in hospitals of the twin-cities stood at 14,983 whereas a 3,623 were admitted by the day.