Deeba Shahnaz
The Rescue Services performing front line duties like shifting of suspected and confirmed corona patients from houses to hospital, hospital to quarantine, quarantine to isolation centers or hospitals, disinfection of public places and corona suspected burials during COVID-19 pandemic in the country.
The Rescue Services have also been entrusted with ration pack distribution to deserving people during lockdown situation. In Pakistan, first case of COVID-19 appeared on 26th February, 2020 in Karachi, on 24th March lockdown started in the country and now smart lockdown is continued.
Up till now total 417 deaths have been reported due to COVID-19. The Punjab Rescue Service alone shifted 6,640 corona suspected patients and performed 173 corona suspected burials across the province.
The Pakistan Rescue Team (PRT) of the Emergency Services Academy is the first UN Classified Team in South Asia that immediately organized specialized Corona Emergency Response Training for the rescuers of Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhaw and Baluchistan at the Emergency Services Academy to combat this situation in more professional manner.
Special videos, emergency response and safety instructions with reference to use of complete Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), emergency response, disinfection of the emergency vehicles, equipment and proper disposal of used PPE were developed through consultative process and issued to all districts of Punjab to be followed while responding to COVID-19 emergencies.
PRT also took responsibility of managing the Lahore Expo Triage Center established by the government of Punjab to deal with daily influx of patients with routine and COVID- 19 complaints. The Rescue Team is involved in information and screening desk to shifting of patients and decontamination of ambulances, area and personnel.
A dedicated Corona Rescue Helpline 1190 was launched by the Governor Punjab at the Rescue Headquarters Punjab on 21st March 2020 to ensure 24/7 guidance, register and immediate assistance to COVID-19 related emergencies by Rescue Teams in Punjab. Initially, people with routine cough and fever were calling to seek guidance. Interesting part was that people were also providing information about the person with recent travel history in their area.
During the first three weeks, on Corona Rescue Helpline 1190 thousands of calls were received but out of them, approximately 300 people were required to be shifted to hospitals. The data revealed that people have fear about this pandemic and they are discussing and reporting on Helpline to get relief. The single ration request was not received in fear of Corona emergency since its inception 21st March to 12th April 2020.
The Rescue Services was entrusted for ration packs distribution collected under the umbrella of Pakistan Development Network by Ch Muhammad Sarwar, who is Governor Punjab. As this activity started in Lahore, the pattern of calls at Corona Rescue Helpline 1190 was completely changed. It found a paradigm shift from corona medical/information seeking calls to ration requests.
The Rescue Service has received 17,786 ration requests and now no one is calling to get medical advice but are requesting for the provision of ration packs. People are more concerned about the provision of foods instead of medical advice related to COVID-19.
Since its inception on 21st March 2020 to till date total 23,530 calls have been received on dedicated Corona Helpline and from 12th April 2020 total 17,786 ration requests have been received. The remaining calls include corona medical calls, corona testing queries and complaints, suspected corona patient information, public gathering campaigns, telemedicine helpline connectivity complaints, disinfection requests, and shifting requests.
The Rescue Service facilitated the process of PDN for ration distribution and distributed total 42,079 ration packs to the deserving people of Lahore and Rawalpindi during COVID-19 emergencies.
Keeping in view the increasing number of ration request, the DG Rescue Punjab has also requested public who could afford and support others to take care of at least one family during Ramdan to cope the situation as it is our religious obligation to take care of neighbours or relatives.
The Rescue Service as a commitment to serve humanity is always there to help public but such increased ration need can be managed with the help of each.
May Allah save all humanity from this pandemic, and give us courage to support each other in this difficult time, Ameen!
— The writer is head Community Safety & Information Rescue 1122 Punjab. She can be reached at [email protected]
