KARACHI: Speakers at a conference have called for establishing emergency rescue service 1122 in Sindh like in other provinces in order to help people provide quick relief in case of catastrophes, natural upheaval and mayhem.
They said that the institutions like Sindh Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) had an important role in containing the losses and providing immediate relief to the people in case of any natural calamity.
This they said while addressing the three-day national conference on Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) at University of Sindh (SU) in Jamshoro. The conference was organised by the SU’s Department of Social Work in collaboration with Sindh PDMA, Community Work Service Asia and Fast Rural Development Programme (FRDP).
Addressing the conference, FRDP Chairman Muhammad Achar Bozdar said that the emergency rescue service 1122 had saved more than 150,000 lives in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa during different emergencies and disasters, adding that the same service was needed in the Sindh for which he said the provincial disaster management authority will have to make efforts to materialise it.
He also talked about the importance of training and awareness campaign to be launched in a bid to equip people with such skills that could help them save not only their own lives but also those of their loved ones in times of disasters and emergencies. He said that public must take part in first-aid training needed during times of medical emergencies, firefighting and rescue in case of destruction of a building during a disaster.
Addressing the conference, SU professor Dr Aslam Parvez Memon said that people should get rescue training so that they might be prepared to handle any emergency and save lives of the people. He added that there was a strong need for starting an emergency service so that the people could be provided with the best possible and quick emergency and rescue services.
“This would be a huge public service in the province which has been affected by many disasters in the past, including super floods in 2010,” he said. PDMA Director Muhammad Ali Shaikh said that they wanted such organisations to become fully functional and stand ready in safeguarding human lives.
He also said that the rescue staff must be sent for national and international training which will help them stand on their feet and they will be able to protect and rescue people in any disaster.
Another speaker Waheed Javed Khaskheli said that disaster management plan should be implemented strictly in order to cope with natural disasters in the days to come. He hoped that Sindh PDMA would soon establish emergency service to provide immediate relief to the people in case of any disaster and emergency.
“PDMA should also prepare comprehensive recommendations for the rehabilitation of people, farmers and cattle breeders who are being affected by drought in Thar and other catastrophes taking place in various parts of Sindh,” he maintained. He added that the PDMA should launch an effective campaign for creating awareness among the masses about precautionary measures in natural disasters.
