LAHORE – The Rescue 1122 on Sunday claimed to have rescued around 0.8 million emergency victims in 0.7 million rescue operations during 2010 while maintaining its average response time of less than seven minutes and quality standards in all districts, Punjab Emergency Service Rescue 1122 Director General Dr Rizwan Naseer said on Sunday while presenting the organisation’s annual report.
According to details, rescue officials rescued 0.3 million emergency victims during 2010, as compared to 0.19 million in 2009, 0.15 million in 2008, 48,280 in 2007, 26514 in 2006 and 16397 in 2004-5. Rescue 1122 also started its operations in 24 districts of Punjab in June including Jhang, Toba Tek Singh, Muzzaffargarh, Rajanpur, Mianwali, Pakpattan, Kasur, Gujrat, Bahawalnagar, Jehlum, Attock, Khanewal, Vehari, Chakwal, Okara, Hafizabad, Sheikhupura, Lodhran, Nankana Sahib, Khushab, Mandi Bahauddin, Narowal, Layyah and Bhakkar.
As soon as the Rescue 1122 started its operations, it had to face challenges of the massive floods in Punjab. Despite limited resources, the Rescue 1122 rescued over 39,812 flood affectees from flood-hit areas and provided emergency medical treatment to more than 42,432 flood affectees. The Rescue 1122 also established camps for flood affectees and helped in distribution of food and other necessary items for flood affectees. The Rescue1122 provided technical assistance to other provinces including Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Azad Kashmir during 2010.
The service also trained 684 medical first responders for the Aman Ambulance Service, Karachi. The total number of emergency victims rescued by the Rescue 1122 during 2010 included 68,377 people in Lahore, 30,199 in Faisalabad, 12,305 in Rawalpindi, 13,940 in Bahawalpur, 28,918 in Multan, 26,135 in Dera Ghazi Khan, 12,884 in Rahim Yar Khan, 11,081 in Sahiwal, 11,585 in Sialkot, 22,579 in Gujranwala, 4,586 in Murree, 9,824 in Sargodha, 10,408 in Jhang, 4,174 in Toba Tek Singh, 8,087 in Muzzaffargarh, 27,292 in Rajanpur, 3,047 in Mianwali, 5,916 in Pakpattan, 4,727 in Kasur, 4,174 in Gujrat, 4,224 in Bahawalnagar, 5,001 in Jehlum, 2,596 in Attock, 5,016 in Khanewal, 1,830 in Vehari, 1,684 in Chakwal, 3,439 in Okara, 4,700 in Hafizabad, 2,638 in Sheikhupura, 4,257 in Lodhran, 1,668 in Nankana Sahib, 1,698 in Khushab, 2,069 in Mandi Bahauddin, 1,169 in Narowal, 5,061 in Layyah and 2,273 in Bhakkar.
The emergency calls to which the Rescue 1122 responded during 2010 included 0.1 million road traffic accidents, 0.16 million medical and other emergencies, 6,653 fire incidents, 800 building collapse incidents, 129 explosions, 10,029 crime calls, 843 special rescue operations and 806 drowning incidents.
Naseer said that rescuers would maintain the same service standards in smaller districts of Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, AJK and Karachi to gain respect and blessings of the public. Although an international standard emergency service is available but an increase in number of avoidable roads accidents and fire incidents, necessitate the need to work together for prevention of such emergencies to build a safer Pakistan, he said.
