LAHORE: The Punjab Emergency Services (PES) provided medical services to 52,649 injured mourners during Ashura across Punjab and also shifted 1,393 serious injured patients with deep cuts to hospitals.

Over 12,000 rescuers and 2,134 rescue scouts performed their duties during Ashura.

The Provincial Minister of Health & Emergency Services, Khawaja Salman Rafique, appreciated the rescuers and said, “I visited different areas to monitor Ashura arrangements and I saw all the rescuers were working with dedication and performing their duties with high sprit.”

He also disclosed that “Air Ambulance Service” shall be started soon in Punjab and directed Secretary Emergency Services Department to organize online trainings for health personnel’s involved in this service so that critical injured patients could be dispatched as per international protocols and treated on priority basis when shifted to hospitals.

The Secretary Emergency Services Department, Dr Rizwan Naseer, apprised the minister that the patient transfer service data revealed there are a few districts like Bahawalnager, Mianwali, Bhakkar and Khushab from where four hours are required to shift seriously injured patients. These patients are included head injury, cardiac patients and poly trauma who could be shifted through Air Ambulance Service with short time for advance medical care in the healthcare centre, he added.

Dr Rizwan Naseer also appreciated the services of all rescuers under supervision of Districts Emergency Officers (DEOs) and acknowledged the selfless services of Rescue Scouts during Ashura.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024