ISLAMABAD, Nov 14: The health ministry in collaboration with Unicef and UNFPA is providing 600,000 hygiene kits in the earthquake-hit areas of Azad Kashmir and the NWFP to improve the standard of sanitation and prevent spread of water-borne diseases in tented villages.

Presided over by Health Minister Mohammad Nasir Khan, a meeting of the National Disaster Management Committee was told here on Monday that the health ministry in collaboration with WHO was also hiring services of 75 doctors to assist rehabilitation of medical services through the basic health units (BHUs) in the affected areas.

It was decided that all existing services being provided by the health ministry in the affected areas would continue as part of the relief programme.

During the meeting, Nasir Khan stressed on ensuring proper management of hospital waste in view of potential risk of infections due to contact with hazardous hospital waste. He directed that the hospital waste guidelines prepared by the health ministry be strictly followed.

Health Secretary Anwar Mehmood also informed the meeting that four waste disposal trucks would be assigned to the field hospitals in Azad Kashmir to facilitate disposal of hospital waste.

The committee also decided to shift all victims with spinal injuries to the Cantonment General Hospital (CGH), which is being equipped to handle 100 such patients. Currently such patients are admitted to the Rawalpindi General Hospital (RGH), Holy Family and District Headquarters (DHQ) hospitals.

The meeting was also informed that livestock in the affected areas was at risk of diseases due to lack of proper veterinary care.

Recently the Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock has undertaken a survey of the affected areas to determine the extent of loss to livestock and agriculture produce alongwith requirements for livestock survival.