KARACHI, July 26: The Pakistan Hilal Ahmar Society proposes to launch free ambulance services in all the major cities of the country. This was stated by the chairman of the society at a press conference at Hilal-i-Ahmar House on Monday.

Gen (Retd) Jahandad Khan, chairman of the PRCS, said President Pervez Musharraf wanted the society to be revived. "The primary aim of the society is to provide relief to the masses during conflicts and natural disasters.

"But as the president feels that the society should be active during peace also, it is being revived." He said in the first phase of the proposed initiative, ambulance services in all the bigger cities of Pakistan would be launched.

And in the second, blood banks were proposed to be established, he told journalists. Answering a question, he said the first phase would be launched by the end of July in Islamabad, with the launch of an ambulance service having a fleet of six.

The chief of the society claimed that two districts had been selected for the establishment of blood banks. But he could not name the two districts, when asked to do so.

He said the blood banks would be established in the rural areas of the two districts so that service could be provided to the people living there. In addition, awareness about blood-borne diseases would be provided to the rural population.

Gen Jahandad Khan was assisted in fielding the reporters' questions by Gen Bashir Khan, chairman of the Sindh Red Crescent Society, Sardar Yasin Malik, Vice-President of the Sindh Red Crescent Society, Brig Mateen Mohajir and Kunwar Waseem.

The functionaries of the provincial and central chapters of the society acknowledged that so far it had failed to come up to the expectations of the government as well as the masses. They said the society had been infiltrated by some corrupt people who had no interest in providing relief to the people.

"But now we have dealt with these elements," said the chairman of PRCS. "They have been removed from their positions and new people with clean records have been inducted."

Gen Jahandad Khan said the society intended to expand the role of the volunteers. "Not only are we going to induct volunteers in greater roles but will also make sure that these people perform a major role in transforming the image of the society."

The volunteers would not only be allowed to play their part in the day-to-day affairs of the society, but also would be involved in raising funds for it. He spoke at length about a 75-bed health centre in Sukkur - the Al-Shifa Eye Hospital - where 7,500 eye operations have been carried out so far and 67,000 patients have benefited from the OPD facilities. This healthcare centre was proposed to be expanded at a cost of $600,000, he said.