‘Rescue 1122 service structure to be implemented soon’

LAHORE
Punjab Home Secretary Azam Suleman Wednesday visited Rescue 1122 Headquarters and announced that service structure of the service would be implemented soon; emergency allowances/ incentives be increased and heavy emergency equipment be purchased to further enhance operational capacity of the service.
He said he himself witnessed standard of professional training; practical gallantry work of Rescue 1122 at the incident site, Attock on martyrdom of Punjab Home Minister Shuja Khanzada, Sundar Industrial Estate factory collapse and other major emergency operations.
Earlier, Director General, Punjab Emergency Service (Rescue 1122) Dr Arshad Zia in his welcome address, said that Rescue 1122 evacuated 103 live victims and retrieved 45 dead bodies from Sundar Factory collapse. He said Rescue 1122 was always ready to go in any place of the country to respond any nature of emergency. The Deputy Director (HR) Dr Fooad Shahzad Mirza, DD (P&D) Faheem Qureshi, DD (Finance) Naeem Mukhtar, Head of Operations, Ayaz Aslam, District Emergency Officer, Nankana Saheb Muhammad Akram, Emergency Officers including Dr Rizwan Ch, Shahid Waheed, Engr Sultan,
Engr Sibghatullah, and all those rescuers, who participated in Sundar Industrial Estate incident, attended the ceremony.
The home secretary said a summary has been moved to Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif for establishment of Urban Search & Rescue Teams (USSAR) at divisional level and to purchase heavy emergency equipment to enhance further capacity of the service.
“I am proud of your gallantry work on operations, therefore, I am concerned with your welfare and very soon the issues of your service structure, increase in salary, allowances and equipment shall be resolved,” he added. He said Rescue 1122 has earned respect in the eyes of public and media through its work and professionalism and he hoped the service would maintain its standard and performance in future. Azam Suleman Khan pledged all the suggestions given by the rescuers would be acknowledged with due course of time.
Later, he visited provincial monitoring cell and inspected different functions including monitoring, feedback system, complaint redress cell and real-time emergency management inside the ambulance through cameras.