Health facilities reviewed ahead of long march

Official says lives of march participants and Pindi residents are equally important

RAWALPINDI:

A high-level meeting was chaired on the directives of the provincial government to review the arrangements at the health facilities in the garrison city ahead of the arrival of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s long march.

According to sources, the meeting was held at the Rawalpindi Commissioner's Office and chaired by Rawalpindi Commissioner Saqib Manan. While reviewing the basic health facilities in the garrison city, he emphasised that all the necessary arrangements should be completed before the arrival of long march participants.

The commissioner reiterated that the safety of the participants, lives, and property of the residents of Rawalpindi were equally important and were their priority.

He directed the Rawalpindi deputy commissioner to take on board the private hospitals and keep them in close contact with the allied hospitals.

On the other hand, the police were directed to arrange a mock exercise in collaboration with the hospital administration to prepare in case an unforeseen incident takes place.

Manan also directed the Municipal Corporation and the City Traffic Police to remove encroachments, especially from the sides of Fawara Chowk to make the hospitals in that locality easily accessible.

The meeting was attended by Rawalpindi Deputy Commissioner Captain (retd) Shoaib Ali, Additional Commissioner (Coordination) Syed Nazarat Ali, CPO, Rawalpindi Medical University Principal Dr Muhammad Umar, MS Allied Hospitals, Chief Executive Officer Health Dr Ansar, Additional Deputy Commissioner (Headquarters) Marzia Saleem, Rescue 1122 District Officer Hamza Khan and the heads of the concerned departments.

During the meeting, Dr Umar shared a detailed plan of how emergencies would be dealt with in the Rawalpindi Medical University and the three allied hospitals. He said that the plan for deployment of all necessary medicines, dedicated beds in case of emergency, and trained staff has been completed in all the hospitals as part of early measures.

Similarly, the police representatives said that the administration was in close contact with the local leadership to ensure the security of the participants and to make sure that a peaceful march takes place. Moreover, 6000 additional police personnel will be deployed at these hospitals as well as on the routes that lead to them.

In the end, the commissioner directed the traffic police to make the public aware of the alternative routes for traffic during the march.

 

Published in The Express Tribune, November 13^th, 2022.