Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) on Tuesday strongly recommended complete ban on new constructions in old city areas of Karachi and survey of all existing buildings regarding basic utilities. These recommendations were given in view of a large number of deaths and injuries due to October 8 earthquake in Azad Kashmir and NWFP.
Speaking at a press conference at Karachi Press Club, Secretary General of PMA, Dr Sher Shah Syed demanded that all buildings constructed illegally should be assessed carefully and only those buildings be allowed to exist if found structurally safe.
He urged that implementation of all civil defence rules regarding open space, sideways, and rescue areas should be ensured and fire brigade department to be restructured on town basis. Moreover acquisition of modern machines be done for the department on priority basis.
Dr Sher Shah Syed stressed for compulsory civil defence training in schools and colleges, strict implementation of building rules and regulations. Most importantly, he said, a disaster mitigation and recovery plan for Karachi should be prepared.
He said that Karachi is in high-risk zone and it is the duty of the civil society to do some preventive action to avoid future disaster.
Federal government should take the initiative on national basis and people's safety should be the first consideration and the government should not play in the hands of building mafia, he said.
Expressing extreme concern about the issues in treatment of orthopaedic injuries and the situation of sanitation and hygiene, he recommended that psychological and psychiatric rehabilitation of earthquake victims with post-trauma distress syndrome should be carried out without any delay.
He expressed his gratitude to doctors of Pakistan in general and different branches of PMA in particular for their participation in relief work in the quake-affected areas.
He mentioned that PMA had already shifted some 24 patients to Karachi from affected areas, while more 300 beds had been spared in private hospitals for free treatment of injured. General Secretary PMA Karachi Dr Qaiser Sajjad and Dr Habib Soomro were also present on the occasion.