By Deeba Shahnaz Akhter
The reforms in health and education sector is need of the hour to give right to emergency care to all without any discrimination and contributing for developing disaster resilient communities and prompting Safety Culture in Pakistan. It is matter of immense satisfaction that the Government of Punjab in collaboration with Turkish Government is taking all possible measures in order to improve and strengthen health sector and emergency management system in Pakistan. In this regard, the delegation comprising of 20 officers and instructors from Punjab Emergency Service has been sent to Izmir Provincial Health Directorate Urla Region, Training and Simulation Center for training on Emergency Medical Services and Disaster Management. The practitioners from Emergency Service Punjab, Pakistan were warmly welcomed by Ministry of Health Government of Turkey. The experts from both countries shared their experiences and system with each others.
The training faculty Izmir headed by Director training Dr Esen Mecihan Uysal facilitated Pakistani delegation with visit to Command and Control Room 112 Izmir Turkey. It has been observed that 112 Command and Control Room is really a backbone for the whole health sector in Turkey. The emergency response mechanism including emergency call, coordination to other hospitals, stabilizing victims at emergency site, provision of advance medical care and shifting them to concerned hospitals etc is a coordinated task of the 112 and hospital staff in Turkey. Pakistani delegation was very much interested in Patient Transfer Service and Motorbike Ambulance Service as recently Chief Minister Punjab entrusted Punjab Emergency Service under dynamic leadership of Dr Rizwan Naseer (Sitara-e-Imtiaz) to take charge of Patient Transfer Service from hospitals and also launch Motorbike Ambulance Service in all divisions of Punjab.
Interested fact regarding Patient Transfer System includes the responsibility of the Doctors of the hospitals, who generate the request to transfer the patient in advance health care facility. The doctor transfers the victim or patient after coordination and getting consent to doctor of other hospital. The referring doctor is also responsible to guide the ambulance staff to take care of patient till handed over to doctor of the required facility. All process of shifting, communication between doctors, coordination is being done through conference call and monitored by 112 command and control room.
All three Primary, Secondary and Tertiary Care hospitals, Hawa (Helicopter) ambulance and AFAD (Search and Rescue Service) have been visited in detail besides hands on practice on basic and advanced life support skills, latest triage techniques, stabilizing and shifting of trauma victims. Furthermore simulation exercise of motorbike emergency response, performing triage in mass casualty incident and patient transfer service were conducted to understand their emergency medical services system in an effective way.
The print and electronic media of Turkey also showed solidarity and brotherhood with Pakistan by highlighting training activities. Heartily thanks to Dr Bedia SALNUR Director Health Izmir for providing us all possible facilities, highly competent resources persons like Dr Hussan and others. Special thanks to Director Training and Simulation Center Urla Izmir Dr Esen Mecihan Uysal for continuous facilitation to make this training a fruitful and keep all of us in comfortable environment.
Dear Readers! I am directly working for volunteer system “Rescue Mohafiz” of Punjab Emergency Service and interact with the community from all walks of life. Interaction with the communities often opens up with different questions on Government efforts related to community basic needs including health, education and employment. This training exposure also revealed another very impressive reality that different field professionals are working as UMKE Team that is totally volunteer service. Volunteers attached with Turkish Government complete working hours and render their services voluntarily in an organized manner. You all are requested to join hands with Rescue 1122 as Rescue Mohafiz to establish safer healthier and resilient communities in Pakistan.
Alhamdulillah we have a comprehensive and integrated emergency management system in form of Punjab emergency Service Rescue 1122 which was appreciated in Turkey due to its uniqueness of dealing all kind of emergencies at one toll free emergency number 1122. In Turkey health ministry is looking after health emergency services including 112 command and control, whereas search and rescue department fire department and community safety education works under different ministries. Now Turkish government after 16 years is thinking to integrate all three services ambulance, fire and search and rescue under one umbrella. Thanks to Founder Director General Dr Rizwan Naseer (Sitara-e-Imtiaz) and your team for establishing an integrated emergency management system in Pakistan. Undoubtedly, Emergency Service Rescue 1122 is working for four different organizations in our country with the capacity of single organization. Thanks to Government of Punjab to strengthen this system and providing support to enhance the capacity of Emergency Service by expansion its system and training of officers and rescuers.
