Punjab govt, Turkey to build ties in disaster management

Officers receive training in emergency medical services and disaster management.

LAHORE: As many as 19 emergency officers and instructors of Punjab Emergency Service Rescue 1122 have returned to Pakistan after getting Emergency Medical Services Training from Izmir, Turkey to improve healthcare system in Punjab.

Punjab Emergency Services Director General Dr Rizwan Naseer while talking to The Express Tribune said the officers had received training from Turkey in emergency medical services and disaster management services. The training spanned for two months.



He said Turkey and they were also coordinating in trainings pertaining to search and rescue. Rescue 1122 was going to appear for UN-ratification. And the cooperation of Turkey in search and rescue would also help them in their exercises for ratification.

The visit was a part of agreements between Turkey and the Punjab government to improve healthcare system and expand emergency services.

After their return from Turkey, the delegation of the officers held a meeting with Naseer and briefed him about their training and progress. During their visit, they were briefed about the operational working of the motorcycle ambulance service in Turkey and the patient transfer service (PTS) management which is attached with the province’s command and control centre where there were four dedicated telephone lines for managing the PTS.



There is a common pool for ambulances for emergency and PTS in Turkey and the resources were utilised through district command and control centre for emergency response, PTS, and disaster response. The delegation also observed the system for shifting of emergency patients from primary to secondary healthcare facilities and protocols.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 4^th, 2017.