On court orders, PDMA chief seeks immediate transfer of health officials to Jalozai IDP camp

The authority convenes meeting to discuss and implement directives issued in PHC suo motu.

PESHAWAR: A day after the Peshawar High Court took suo motu notice of lack of facilities at Jalozai camp, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa disaster management chief has sought immediate transfer of health officials from Bara district to the camp.

Provincial Disaster Management Authority Director (PDMA) General Shahzad Khan Bangash asked for the orders in a meeting convened by the authority on Thursday in response to the PHC’s directions. The meeting was attended by representatives of the provincial health department, the Fata directorate of health services, Rotary International, World Health Organisation and United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef).

Bangash told the participants that 45,764 families, who had to flee from Khyber Agency, have been registered so far of which only 9,495 families are living in Jalozai camp while the rest are residing outside the camp. The participants were informed that as a majority of the registered families are living outside the camp, more attention needed to be paid to them.

He directed the officials to make special arrangements for an upcoming three-day polio vaccination round, that will be starting on April 23, to vaccinate all displaced children living inside and outside the camp.

Representatives of humanitarian aid organisations informed the participants that currently there are 10 immunisation points and 5 transit teams but assured that maximum efforts will be made for the next round of vaccinations.

Participants were also told that 48 union councils of Peshawar were mapped in the previous campaign and 350,000 children were vaccinated.

They were told that six Basic Health Units and Mother Child Health Units are functioning in the Jalozai Camp and adequate medical supplies are available for the current population of the camp. However, they said, more units can be established within a short period of time if need be. Ambulances are also available in all health facilities for referral cases. Laboratory facilities are also available in the camp for maternal cases.

Around 15,000 hygiene kits were distributed among the displaced families this month and one hygiene kit is sufficient for the needs of one family for three months, the workers said. Daily, they said, 150,000 litres of water are provided.

Sources said that a letter had also been issued to Chief Executive PESCO by the DG PDMA to provide electricity to the IDP Camps in Jalozai within three days in light of the suo motu notice taken by the PHC.