Response to rehab
PAKISTAN is a land of great blessings and opportunities. Despite facing severe turbulences ranging from political instability to terrorism and natural disasters the nation has always proved its dedication, resilience and patriotism.
A nation comprising 54% of Youth and about 18% below 18years old which will be available in national development in the next 10 to 15 years; next 15 years are a real test for Pakistan.
As the comprehensive and concrete steps towards sustainable policy need to be in place; for progressive and sustainable Pakistan.
The programs must address and develop insight of the community towards measures to improve quality adjusted life years, to develop a culture of research and innovation.
The role of a community leader in mobilizing and motivating society is very important. The achievement of optimum health and provision of healthcare and other services that may be directly or indirectly related to improve health by departments of health & allied without engagement of community could never make possible.
The monitoring, surveillance and evaluation demand deployment of new innovative measures.
In developing prosperous Pakistan, institutions need to raise the culture of innovation in Pakistan.
This scribe has already highlighted that the role of primary & secondary healthcare is very pivotal and district administration must take lead in centralization of all government, non-governmental and pharmaceuticals, allied health industry as well as philanthropists on one page, so that we could broaden the area of development on an equity basis.
We have been through many epidemics like dengue, outbreak of cholera and a recent pandemic of COVID 19 as well as disasters like earthquake of 2005 and flood in 2010 and now in 2022 are a few major events that are enough to build a uniform policy: integrated, collaborated, synchronized and well-communicated efforts from all institutions.
A volunteer force of students regardless of their medical, non-medical, engineering and allied health sciences must be built nationwide; first aid, disaster response, epidemic readiness, preparedness must be included in the curriculum and a quarterly basis mock training also be included in all educational institutions.
Universities must be given a task to educate parents in collaboration with the schools and colleges in the region.
A uniform policy, guidelines and instructions must be circulated at the district administration level to create a collection centres in district and tehsil levels to be further deployed in affected areas in collaboration of community so that the real affectees must be benefited on equity basis after need assessment in defined specific areas.
Uniform policy for pharmaceutical industry for donation of medicine must be centralized at provincial level /university level so that need-based demand must be generated and provision of medical services may also be provided in collaboration with the health department.
To develop prosperous Pakistan, a response to rehab policy to deal with national or regional disaster/crisis must be disseminated at Pakistan level. So all must be on one page for well coordinated, integrated and synchronized efforts.
—The writer is contributing columnist, based in Rawalpindi.
