Muharram emergencies: Monitoring room set up for hospitals in K-P

Health services secretary and director general will be present in the control room

PESHAWAR: To enhance response to emergency situations during Muharram, the provincial health department has set up a centralised control and monitoring room at the health secretariat.

In this regard, contact details of the officials deputed at the facility, which will be active round the clock on both Muharram 9 and 10 [Thursday and Friday], have been shared with all the medical teaching institutions, districts, chief minister’s and chief secretary’s offices besides with offices of home and tribal affairs department and  inspector general of provincial police.

“Both, the secretary and director general of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Health Services, shall be present [in the control and monitoring room] and in contact to oversee,” read a notification issued by the health department, adding that these control rooms shall have updated phone numbers of each and every facility complete with phones and faxes.

The direction, issued earlier this week, clearly states that all hospitals under the administrative control of the health department — from medical teaching institutions to district and category ‘D’ health facilities, shall remain open on September 20 and 21, around the clock and with no breaks.

“All hospital directors, medical superintendents at all the facilities shall remain on full alert on both the days with sufficient human resource, stock of medicines, functional equipment, backup generators and minor besides major operation theatres at absolute ready,” the notification read, adding, “no leave to staff will be allowed for Muharram 9 and 10.”

Moreover, officials from the independent monitoring unit [health] will be acting as coordinating organs for two days and the staff will be deployed at all major health facilities across K-P with their contact details shared with the control room.

Officials at all the hospitals within the provincial capital, besides those having been identified as sensitive cities, held meetings at their respective health facilities and assigned special duties besides displaying the duty roster for Ashura.

The facilities, specifically the medical teaching institutions across the province, have been put on alert with stocks of medicines ensured in the accident and emergency departments.

A similar meeting was held at the Khyber Teaching Hospital (KTH) where special arrangements were discussed and concerned departments asked to ensure availability of doctors, nurses, paramedics and supporting staff.

An emergency control room has been established under the supervision of the administration’s focal person Dr Farman and Clinical Focal person Dr Shehryar Noor.

One exclusive landline, 091-9224281, has been designated for the control room to communicate with the facility in the absence of cellular networks, read a statement issued by the KTH administration. 

Published in The Express Tribune, September 20^th, 2018.