HYDERABAD, April 7 The staff and students of a medical university and its hospital arranged a walk to mark the World Health Day on Tuesday.

Professors, doctors, faculty members, nurses, paramedics and students of Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences and its hospital walked to the press club under the banner 'Save lives make hospitals safe in emergencies.'

The aim of it was to create awareness among people about health services in times of natural calamities like earthquakes, floods, cyclones, heat waves, suicide attacks, violence and epidemic emergencies.

Speakers stressed that strong building structures, competent staff, availability of medicines, equipments and ambulances, uninterrupted supply of power and water were responsible in meeting the emergencies successfully.

The WHO data revealed that only 20 per cent hospitals were functional and 50 per cent damaged and closed during earthquake, tsunami and hurricanes, they said adding that an increase of up to four per cent in the cost of hospital would make these fully safe and secured. Other factors which speakers stressed were emergency plans and preparedness drills for equipping them to deal in emergencies.

The world experienced 321 disasters wherein 235,816 precious lives were lost last year, they said.

Prof Azam Hussain Yousfani, Dr Abdul Jabbar Shaikh, Prof Rafique Ahmed Soomro, Prof Nazeer Ahmed Memon and others assured that the university and hospital staff was prepared for emergency care with 3,000 medical students and 1,000 doctors being trained for such situations.

DG HEALTH Director General Health Services Sindh, Dr Abdul Sattar Korai has stressed the need for training health workers to meet emergencies and control epidemics. He was speaking at a seminar at his directorate to mark the World Health Day.

The seminar was organised by the provincial Educational Cell. He said that the day was aimed at protecting health centres and creating awareness among workers in case of calamities.

He said that refresher courses would be held for health workers in the light of recent research in the field of health and medicine.

Director Health Education, Ms Musarrat Shahina and others also spoke on the occasion.