WHO handed over flood emergency relief support to Sindh

KARACHI: Azra Fazal Pechuho and Dr Palitha Mahipala, WHO Representative to Pakistan, inaugurated the event in which the World Health Organisation (WHO) handed over rain/flood emergency relief support to the Sindh Health Department. 

Zulfiqar Shah, Secretary Health, Dr Sara Salman, Dr Irshad Memon and Dr Sohail Sheikh were also in attendance. 

On occasion, World Health Organisation handed over 70,000 aqua tablets, 4800 facemasks, 1488 mosquito bed nets, 12 multipurpose tents, 50 small tents, and 500 fleece blankets. 

In the way of essential medication, the handover by WHO included 6200 Amoxicillin, 5000 Chlorpheniramine Maleate, 1000 Co-Trimoxazole Susp, 15000 Salbutamol, 500 Hydrocortisone, 51000 Metronidazole, 1000 paracetamol, 50,000 ORS and 560 Dextrose Saline/Ringer Lactate. 

During their meeting, Azra Pechuho, Minister for Health and Population Welfare, and Dr Palitha Mahipala discussed the best plan of action to vaccinate the people of Sindh for Cholera. 

Azra Pechuho stated that it is best to start cholera vaccinations as early as possible, aim at schools and include this vaccination in the routine immunisation drive.   

Due to the water being contaminated because of the monsoons and flood water, Azra Pechuho urged everyone to boil their drinking water before using it as simply filtration was not enough to kill the bacteria. 

Dr Palitha Mahipala was confident that the vaccination campaigns in Sindh would manage to achieve a large percentage of coverage over a short period of time.