WHO donates vehicles

Islamabad: The Representative of the World Health Organization in Pakistan Dr. Palitha Mahipala presented a donation of 37 ambulances, 125 motorbikes, and 12 double cabins to the PM’s Special Assistant on Health Dr. Faisal Sultan here Thursday to strengthen the Covid-19 response efforts in Pakistan.

Speaking at a ceremony arranged in this connection at the WHO Country Office, Dr. Faisal acknowledged WHO’s unwavering support to Pakistan during the COVID-19 pandemic and expressed how fortunate Pakistan is to have worked with trusted partners like WHO to mitigate the impact of the pandemic in both the first and second waves.

The WHO donation will support timely referral of passengers and patients, strengthen surveillance and sample transportation for contact tracing.

“The government has been systematically steering progress on all strategic pillars of COVID-19 Pakistan Preparedness and Response Plan (PPRP), which includes coordination, surveillance, points of entry, laboratory, infection prevention and control, case management, risk communication and community engagement and essential health services. The WHO is assisting the government to counter the morbidity and mortality impact of the pandemic by strengthening clinical case management for optimized patient care and protect frontline workers and vulnerable populations while ensuring continuity of essential health and social services,” Dr. Faisal said.

The WHO technical guidelines have been the basis of developing SOPs for screening, contact tracing, surveillance, infection prevention and control, case management, testing and risk communication at the POE and case management at healthcare facilities. WHO has been a major contributor in terms of providing 34 PCR machines with supplies, over 50,000 rapid antigen test kits, 39,000 PPEs kit and PPE supplies worth Rs. 320 million and many other equipment. A total of 80 technical staffs for surveillance, IPC, case management, lab and risk communication has been engaged by WHO to support the government at the federal and provincial levels.