LAHORE   -  Provincial Minister for Health & Emergency Services Khawaja Salman Rafique appreciated rescuers who sacrificed their leaves and provided medical services to 52,649 injured mourners on Ashura, the 10th of Muharram, in Punjab and shifted 1,393 seriously injured mourners to hospitals. He expressed these views while chairing the Ashura emergency cover review meeting at the Emergency Services Headquarters, which was attended by Dr. Rizwan Naseer, secretary Emergency Services Department, Syed Kamal Abid, administrator, heads of wings, senior officers from Emergency Services Headquarters & Academy.

The minister asked for conveying his appreciation to over 12,000 rescue staff and 2,134 rescue scouts, who performed duties devotedly during Ashura. The minister said, “I visited different areas to monitor Ashura arrangements and I saw the all rescuers were working with dedication and performing their duties with high spirits.”

He said the Air Ambulance Service would be started in Punjab soon and directed Secretary Emergency Services Department to organise online training for health personnel to be deputed on the Air Ambulance, so that critically injured patients could be sent as per international protocols and treated on priority basis when shifted to specialised healthcare hospitals.

The secretary apprised the minister that the patient transfer service data revealed there were a few districts like Bahawalnagar, Mianwali, Bhakkar and Khushab from where four hours were required to shift seriously injured patients. These patients could be shifted through Air Ambulance Service in a short time period.

Dr. Rizwan Naseer also appreciated the services of all rescuers under supervision of Districts Emergency Officers (DEOs) and acknowledged the selfless services of Rescue Scouts during Ashura.