63 Facilities Repaired After Climate-Induced Havoc in KP

APP

Peshawar: The World Health Organization (WHO), in its commitment to enhancing health services, has revitalized approximately 63 health facilities in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa that had nearly ceased functioning due to severe damage from climate-induced disasters, notably the catastrophic floods of 2022.

The refurbishment of these health facilities was prompted by the devastating floods in Pakistan in 2022 and other climate change-related events, such as unpredictable rains, hailstorms, and windstorms, as stated by Dr Babar Alam, WHO’s Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa representative.

 After the inauguration of a flood-affected Basic Health Unit (BHU) at Kotkay village in Charsadda district, Dr Babar said the rehabilitation process is in progress in the whole country.

The refurbished health facilities in KP are in districts including Charsadda, Chitral, DI Khan, Kohistan Upper, Nowshera, Swat, Tank, Hangu, Dir Lower, Haripure, Manshera, and Abbottabd.

The rehabilitated health facilities included Basic Health Units (BHUs), Rural Health Centers (RHCs), Labor Rooms, Tehsil Headquarter Hospital, etc.

Around 15 health facilities are renovated in DI Khan district of KP, witnessing maximum damage due to 2022 floods. Similarly, 11 health-providing buildings were revamped in Swat district.

For the improvement of routine immunization, WHO has supported the refurbishment of seven Divisional Expanded Programme for Immunization (EPI) halls in Mardan, Hangu, DI Khan, Bannu, Swat, Manshera, and Abbottabad.

Similarly, twenty labor rooms were refurbished and made operational for the provision of necessary health facilities to expecting mothers and newborns at their doorsteps in districts including five in DI Khan, five in Swat, four in Tank, one in Hangu, one in Charsadda, two in Kohistan Upper, one in Lower Dir, and one in Haripure.

Dr Babar said these initiatives have been taken with the cooperation of the Health Department of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, and service facilities have been restored with the provision of the required human resources and medicine.

Appreciating the goodwill gesture by the global organization WHO, local people present on the occasion highly hailed the initiative and said the destruction of BHU Kotkay had caused a lot of problems and inconvenience to them.

Hundreds of people, including men and women, had to visit different areas for medical treatment due to the destruction of the BHU in their locality by raging floods in August 2022, they added.

Talking to people, Dr Babar held out assurance that WHO will continue its support to people in getting necessary health facilities within the vicinity of their homes, and for this purpose, different initiatives will be taken time and again.