President Mamnoon Hussain Says magnitude of challenges so huge that no single organisation can single-handedly respond to them. PHOTO: REUTERS
The government is making every possible effort to provide quality healthcare.
“Reaching out to calamity-hit people and their rehabilitation has always been our foremost priority,” President Mamnoon Hussain said on Saturday while addressing an international conference on physical medicine and rehabilitation, organised by the Armed Force Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine (AFIRM) here on Saturday.
The president also pointed out that, at times, such efforts were hampered by many factors including resource constraints.
“Sometimes, the magnitude and enormity of challenges is so huge that no single organisation can respond to them single-handedly,” he said.
“To put our thoughts into action, the government, civil society and the armed forces have to work in unison in areas such as rehabilitation services within the health sector,” he said.
“These rehabilitation efforts signify our collective conscientiousness in providing solace to the vulnerable and needy segments of the society.”
The president, while hailing the support of the international community, called for even greater commitment and support towards such noble causes. “Let us bring our collective goodness in making such endeavours a success,” he said and added, “Let’s make partnerships which will ensure the most optimum utilisation of resource to develop collaborative rehabilitation networks.”
The president also referred to the human and economic losses suffered by Pakistan due to the war on terror and urged the world community to realise its sacrifices in the war and help the country.
The president welcomed all the participants of the conference, especially those who had travelled from abroad to make the event truly international in its scope, content and significance.
He also appreciated the efforts of Chief of Army Staff Gen Raheel Sharif and former army chief Gen (retd) Ashfaq Pervez Kiyani for patronising the noble cause and establishing modern facilities such as the AFIRM.
Hussain said Pakistan’s resilience could be gauged from the efforts that it had put into countering the effects of natural calamities and terrorism.
While these unfortunate events have left a tale of anguish and disability at individual levels, there have been consistent efforts made at institutional and collective levels to provide help to the affected people, he said.
Earlier, AFIRM further Maj-Gen Akhtar Waheed said the institute was providing rehabilitation facilities to the people affected by natural calamities and victims of war on terror.
He said with 29 specialists at the AFIRM, 16 departments were providing rehabilitation services to the affected people across the country. He said experts and delegates from over 20 countries were participating in the conference to share their experiences and expertise in the area of rehabilitation.
Dr James Gosney from the International Society of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine (ISPRM) highlighted pre- and post-disaster rehabilitation barriers and the measures required to overcome such barriers, particularly in the developing countries.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 6th, 2014.
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