Safe & Healthy Pakistan campaign to be launched

LAHORE
Pakistan Red Crescent (PRC) has joined hands with religious community to launch strategic initiative for Safe & Healthy Pakistan. The Pakistan Red Crescent Managing Board approved new strategic initiatives for the Red Crescent.
According to a press release issued here Wednesday, the new strategic initiatives includes Implementation of PRC drive - Safe and Healthy Pakistan (an integrated preventive health care/risk reduction programme with the RC/RC Movement and through Charter of Humanity with Ittehad Tanzemat-e-Madaris, Initiation of the Road Safety Programme, Activation of Restoring Family Links Programme and changing PRCS motto to “Saving Lives, Changing Minds & Uniting People”, Prisoners’ Blood Donor Programme for Major Emergencies, Initiation of National Ambulance Service, Initiation of National Ambulance Service and Establishment of National Ambulance Service College.
The Managing Board meeting chaired by PRC Chairman Dr Saeed Elahi was attended by Arshad Ahmed, Senior Joint Secretary Ministry of Finance, Qaiser A Sheikh, Mujeeb-ur-Rehman Shami, Qamar Zaman, Dr Jamal Nasir, Najeebullah Malik, Mumtaz Haider Rizvi, Farzana Naek, Mian Muhammad Hanif (SI), Zahid Ali Shah, Ikramullah Jan Kukikhel, Muhammad Wali, Bashir Ahmed and Dr Talat Jabeen, representative of Ministry of National Health Services and Regulations.
Briefing the board, PRC Secretary General Dr Rizwan Naseer said that these new initiatives of PRC Chairman Dr Saeed Elahi would boost the Red Crescent activities especially during the peace time.
He said that PRC took an initiative by signing a ‘Charter of Humanity’ with ‘Ittehad Tanzemat-e-Madaris Pakistan (A representative body of all religious schools of thought). Under the Charter, PRCS plans to positively engage the religious community for effective implementation of preventive health care and blood donation advocacy and activities. Hence PRC shall launch its nationwide drive for a safe and healthy Pakistan (an integrated Preventive Health Care/Risk Reduction Program with the RC Movement and through Charter of Humanity with ITM and Volunteers). Dr Naseer said that another landmark initiative would be the setting up a ‘Prisoners’ Blood Donation Programme’ with the technical help of its blood transfusion centres for emergency blood collection in case of any major emergency or disaster. In return, PRC shall help in providing assistance to their family members and provide free legal aid through volunteers.
The secretary general told the board that restoring family links was a key area of cooperation between the PRCS and the ICRC over the years, needs to be activated as the citizens of Pakistan could greatly benefit from this programme locally and internationally.
At present, there is no helpline in the country where any person could get the information or assistance if any member of the family gets lost. Under this programme, PRCS shall start the ‘Lost helpline’ where any person can call to report their missing family member. This information shall be immediately matched with data, collected by PRCS, of all unattended and unidentified persons reporting to the hospitals due to any accident, emergency or a disaster. Similarly the other national societies shall be requested for locating any Pakistani missing in any foreign country.
PRC plans to launch national emergency ambulance service in an effective manner focused in areas of Pakistan where there is no Rescue 1122 Service available and along the proposed Pak-China Economic Corridor. This ambulance service would not only highlight PRCS presence but shall ensure visibility to PRCS humanitarian services. The Managing Body may also decide if we should use the same emergency number 1122 in the entire country like other developed countries or use a separate PRC number. Dr Naseer said that National Ambulance Service College was being established in collaboration with National Ambulance Service College of Ireland. Under the Road Safety Programme, PRCS would have one person in all major teaching and district headquarters hospitals for collection of information regarding trauma to find out the exact causes of road crashes in Pakistan so that advocacy could be done for improvement of road safety laws, better enforcement and implementation of IFRC global road safety initiatives.