MUZAFFARABAD: Acting on the directives of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Prime Minister Chaudhry Anwarul Haq, a truck carrying essential medical equipment was dispatched on Friday to support a medical mission in the snow-affected areas of Neelum Valley.

The supplies included an ultrasound machine, delivery tables, delivery kits, and gynecological emergency equipment, which were urgently required to cater to medical emergencies in the snowbound villages of Halmat and Janawai in the Gurez sub-valley of Neelum.

On Thursday, a seven-member emergency medical response team—comprising four male and three female doctors—was airlifted to the upper reaches of Neelum Valley using military helicopters.

This collaborative effort with the Pakistan Army was initiated following reports of insufficient healthcare facilities and rising medical emergencies in these isolated areas.

Road to Taobutt cleared for the first time in January amid freezing temperatures

On the night of January 18, a 21-year-old pregnant woman had died while she was being carried on foot from the snowbound village of Taobutt Bala to a health facility in Kel. A week earlier, another pregnant woman from Halmat village had succumbed to similar circumstances.

Locals had blamed these fatalities on the closure of roads and the unavailability of medical services in the snow-covered Gurez sub-valley, which stretches beyond Kel to Taobutt, the valley’s last village.

The emergency medical team, airlifted on Thursday, set up a base camp in Halmat village, where they are scheduled to provide healthcare services until February 6.

A video shared by officials with this scribe showed the team treating critically ill patients and evacuating some to Kel and Muzaffarabad via military helicopters.

Muzaffarabad’s divisional commissioner Masoodur Rehman said the team had requested additional supplies to deal with the increasing number of medical emergencies, prompting swift action by the administration.

The Department of Health supplied the emergency medical equipment, while the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) provided logistics and staff to ensure its timely delivery to Halmat, he said.

Mr Rehman further informed that additional medical teams would be deployed to other snowbound areas, including Sharda, Phulawai, and nearby villages, in the second phase of the operation.

He said secretary health Brig Muhammad Fareed was personally overseeing the operation and the daily progress reports were being sent to the Prime Minister’s Secretariat.

Expressing gratitude to the Pakistan Army for their timely assistance, the commissioner also lauded the contributions of volunteers and government employees, particularly those working in sub-zero temperatures to facilitate the mission.

Meanwhile, Neelum Deputy Commissioner Nadeem Ahmed Janjua told Dawn on Friday that the main artery to Taobutt had been cleared of snow, despite temperatures plummeting to -15°C.

The freezing conditions had solidified portions of the Neelum River at multiple points, posing immense challenges to road clearance operations.

“This road is typically closed until April, and it’s the first time in many years that we’ve managed to clear the route up to Taobutt in January,” Mr Janjua said.

“The credit goes to the dedicated staff of the public works department and other government servants, who braved freezing temperatures and harsh weather to achieve this remarkable feat.”

Published in Dawn, January 25th, 2025