‘Promoting Healthy Lives’ drive for Panahgahs on the anvil

Islamabad: The shelter homes management has partnered up with the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) administration to launch a vigorous campaign for transforming the ‘Panahgahs’ into healthy and eco-friendly places through active mobilisation of human and financial resources.

Both the authorities Saturday sat together and chalked out strategy for launch of the drive titled ‘Promoting Healthy Lives.’ They also discussed various possibilities for the partnership to effectively pursue the campaign.

During the meeting, Prime Minister’s Focal Person on ‘Panahgah’ Naseem ur Rehman said the shelter homes management would lead the campaign, whereas the ICT administration would provide logistic support to make it a success story.

Additional Deputy Commissioner-General Omer Randhawa assured the management of its all-out support in implementing the drive at all the shelter homes of the federal capital. “Under the drive, the management in collaboration with ICT admin will observe four special of weeks at ‘Panahgahs’ to shine a light on the importance of best practices to avoid health risk, mainly at crowded places,” he noted.

After the launch of the drive, Naseem ur Rehman said extensive awareness sessions would be arranged at all the shelter homes of Islamabad in the first week to inculcate health messages among the dwellers and its beneficiaries. He said the awareness sessions would focus on multiple themes including healthy food, hand-hygiene, and tobacco-free places.

The sensitization of the dwellers would be made sure with active participation of the ‘Panahgahs’ service providers, civil society, volunteers, community leaders and the officials of district administration, he added.

The focal person said teams comprising four persons would be formed for each ‘Panahgah’ for the purpose. 40 hand-washing booths had been installed at various shelter homes to promote hand-hygiene among the dwellers.

Naseem ur Rehman said environment-friendly steps would be taken in the second week to ensure clean and green environment at ‘Panahgahs.’ Cleanliness of all the ‘Panahgahs’ would be done in that week, besides taking beautification measures.

In the third week, he said recommended screening would be carried out at all the facilities with active participation of the medical professionals to provide healthcare facilities to the residents apart from the food and shelter.

He said politicians and representatives of civil society and private sector would be invited in the last week to develop partnership with them for the betterment of ‘Panahgahs’ and their residents.

The focal person also highlighted the management’s initiative for protecting its residents from the coronavirus pandemic. “Not a single case of the coronavirus has been reported at ‘Panahgahs’ due to the proactive approach of the management,” he remarked.