Lahore: Adviser to CM on Health Kh Salman Rafiq has said that the government would seek cooperation of international health organisations for epidemic control and provision of health facilities in the flood affected areas.
He was talking to a three-member delegation of World Health Organization (WHO) that called on him at Civil Secretariat on Tuesday. The WHO delegation comprised Dr Jamshed Ali, Dr. Mazhar Qureshi and Dr Ali Raja. Secretary Health Jawad Rafique Malik, Secretary Finance Jehanzeb Khan, Director General Health Dr Zahid Pervaiz, Director Integrated Programme Mother Neonatal and Child Health Programme Dr Tanvir Ahmed, Director MNCH Dr Zafar Ikram, Director Health CDC Dr Ahmed Afifi and Director Health EPI Dr Munir Ahmed were also present. The meeting was told that WHO has already provided a large quantity of medicines and other articles for providing medical treatment to the people of flood-hit areas.
Secretary Finance suggested seeking volunteer services of university students for rehabilitation activities and conducting survey of affected areas. He requested WHO to help bringing international agencies and local NGOs at one platform for an effective rehabilitation campaign. The meeting agreed on the proposals presented by Secretary Finance and it was decided that a strategy would be evolved for acquiring services of university students for this purpose.
DG Health asked WHO to provide emergency health kits, diarrhea kits, water purification (aquapura) tablets, anti-snake venom, anti-rabies vaccine, Primaqueen tablets for malaria treatment and rapid diagnostic kits for early diagnosis. The WHO delegation assured to extend full cooperation to the provincial government for providing healthcare facilities and control of epidemics.–Staff Reporter