Staff Reporter
The Pakistan Red Crescent Society has always been in the vanguard of action and its humanitarian services rendered during manmade and natural disasters and peacetime cannot be overemphasized, said President Dr Arif Alvi during a meeting with a PRCS delegation led by Chairman Dr Saeed Elahi at the President House on Tuesday.
The President made a special mention of the PRCS community resilience programs, aimed at enhancing the communities’ ability to adapt to changing conditions, and withstand and bounce back rapidly from disruptions caused by natural and manmade disasters.
He said volunteers were an asset to the PRCS and emphasized the need for imparting first aid training to all of them.
He directed the PRCS to give top priority to first aid, blood donation and ambulance service.
The president said the commencement of ambulance service in major cities of the country was a great achievement and suggested its extension to the remotest areas of the country.
Dr. Saeed Elahi apprised President Arif Alvi about different PRCS programs including first aid, blood donation, youth & volunteers, ambulance service, National Ambulance Service College, Climate Change Adaptation and ongoing welfare activities in Pakistan and future initiatives.
He said volunteers were the backbone of Red Cross Red Crescent Movement. He said the PRCS had millions registered volunteers who rendered services during the public awareness campaigns, community projects, and natural and manmade disasters.
He said the number of volunteers would be increased to 5 million in the coming years.
The delegation comprised Vice Chairman Naguib Ullah Malik, Treasurer Mumtaz Haider Rizvi, Members Managing Body Justice (R) Sheikh Ahmed Farooq, Dr. Jamal Nasir, Mian Abdul Rauf and Syed Azfar Ali Nasir, Brigadier Abdul Hadi (R), Chairperson PRCS Sindh Mrs. Shahnaz Hamid, Secretary General Khalid Bin Majeed, Deputy Director Finance Muhammad Rashid Gul and Assistant Director IT Farhan Hafeez.
