Govt to start Rescue 1122 air ambulance service

Move aims to expand emergency services across province

LAHORE:

Punjab government will start Rescue 1122 Air Ambulance service for which a budget had been allocated in the current fiscal year.

Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar made this announcement while presiding over the passing out ceremony of 393 rescuers of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) province and 73 rescue workers of Koh-e-Suleman area of Dera Ghazi Khan at the Emergency Services Academy (ESA), Thokhar Niaz Beg on Monday.

Speaking on the occasion, the CM added that Punjab will be the first province to start Rescue 1122 Air Ambulance service. The government had also expanded the scope of rescue service to 86 tehsils while motorcycle ambulance service was extended to 27 districts, he continued.

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“It is sanguine that Rescue 1122 has rescued myriad people in more than 9.6 million emergencies which are a unique honour for the institution.”

He assured to sympathetically review the approval of risk allowance for rescuers on the pattern of Punjab Police and added that work will be started for restoration of frozen allowance since 2017.

The chief minister appreciated that more than 20,000 rescuers of Punjab and other federating units had completed their training from the academy which enjoys the honour of being the first certified search and rescuers team by the UN.

He, however, regretted the board meeting was not held for 10 long years adding that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-led government took several initiatives for the betterment of the organisation while holding regular board meetings. Meanwhile, rescuers’ service structure had been created to generate promotion opportunities, the CM affirmed. “The PTI-led government has given the status of an administrative department to Rescue 1122 while giving the powers of a secretary to its DG.”

The chief minister appreciated that the rescuers had shifted thousands of coronavirus-affected patients to hospitals and quarantine centres during the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. “The government will continue to provide resources for giving the best emergency services to the people.”

Special Assistant to the K-P CM on Information Kamran Bangash appreciated Buzdar for extending cooperation for the training of K-P province’s rescuers, terming it an example of inter-provincial harmony.

“The past rulers tried to weaken the passions of national unity but Buzdar, being the popular chief minister, has integrated us all. The Punjab CM also ensured composite development and discontinued the culture of political jugglery,” the SACM claimed.

MPA Mussarat Jamshed Cheema claimed that Rescue 1122 faced deterioration in the past due to prejudice of previous governments. “Now, Buzdar has made it the best service providing institution,” she added.

Rescue 1122 DG Dr Rizwan Naseer said Rescue 1122 was not given new ambulances in the past and 258 new ambulances were being given after 2015 on special instructions of Buzdar.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 17^th, 2021.