Edhi Foundation starts air ambulance service for Kurram

PARACHINAR: Following nearly 70 days of unrest and road closures in Kurram, the Edhi Foundation on Tuesday launched an air ambulance service to deliver essential medicines and transport injured individuals and patients to Peshawar.

Social activist Faisal Edhi arrived in Parachinar on the first flight of the air ambulance service.Speaking to the media at Benazir Airport in Parachinar, he expressed his deep concern over the hardships faced by the residents of Kurram due to the closure of the main roads.

He said that the air ambulance service was launched to meet the shortage of medicines and facilitate the transfer of injured and patients to hospitals in Peshawar. On its first day, the air ambulance completed two flights, delivering essential medicines to Parachinar and evacuating injured and patients.

Faisal Edhi visited the District Headquarters Hospital (DHQ) in Parachinar and met patients and injured. During the visit, Medical Superintendent Syed Mir Hassan Jan briefed him about the hospital’s challenges, including a shortage of medicines and other resources.

The closure of roads has impacted the supply of necessities such as food, cooking oil, gas, and medicines, leaving residents struggling with acute shortages. Many families are reportedly facing starvation.

Deputy Commissioner Kurram, Javedullah Mehsud, said that efforts were underway to alleviate the crisis, including the resumption of a previously postponed grand jirga in Kohat.He added that steps were being taken to reopen transportation routes and that a helicopter service had been launched to transfer those in urgent need to Peshawar.