News
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
PM asks NGOs to ensure transparency, accountability* Gilani appreciates role of NGOs in helping flood victims
* Vows to rebuild flood-battered healthcare system
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani on Monday said the government was fully committed to complete transparency and accountability in the receipt, management and use of funds and resources meant for flood victims.
Addressing a post-flood meeting with the heads of leading non-governmental organisations (NGOs) at the PM House, he said the government was confident that the NGO sector would also ensure equivalent transparency and accountability in their accounts.
“I will share with you how the federal government views present and future challenges in post-flood rehabilitation and reconstruction and renewal, and the role of Pakistani NGOs,” he said.
“The government thanks the NGO sector of the country for its dedicated and valuable contribution before, during and after the floods,” he said.
Separately, Gilani expressed the determination to undertake the mammoth task of rebuilding Pakistan’s flood-battered healthcare system.
“We will not rest till every flood victim is rehabilitated and resumes his life with honour and dignity,” he said.
While distributing long lasting impregnated nets for malaria to the provinces at the PM House, Gilani said the recent floods have wreaked havoc across all the four provinces, including Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan, requiring billions of rupees to repair and rebuild health infrastructure.
He said the raging waters decimated whatever came in its way and washed away hundreds of basic health units.
Gilani said the government took emergency measures as it feared the outbreak of epidemic and disease in the flood affected areas. “While the outbreak of epidemics has been checked to a large extent through timely intervention by the government, the current situation can lead to the breeding of disease vectors of malaria,” Gilani warned.
He said as the floodwater recedes, the threat of malaria would grow progressively. The utmost vigilance and surveillance along with effective preventive measures need to be put in place to avert the threat.
He said the Health Coordination Hubs had been set up, and a Disease Early Warning System was being serviced by a total of 479 fixed health centres and 544 mobile outreach camps in the affected areas.
In addition to it, 33,222 lady health workers were also engaged in flood relief activities in 57 districts of the country. He said the extent of damage could be measured from the fact that 236 health facilities such as basic health units, dispensaries and hospitals were damaged while around 200 had been destroyed in the flood-hit areas.
He expressed satisfaction that the Ministry of Health had moved fast in providing a preventive net of health services with a result that there was no epidemic anywhere in the country. app
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk