After a recent devastating earthquake in western Afghanistan, the Interim government of Pakistan has taken swift action to provide needed relief to the affected victims.
A 10-member specialized medical team is being dispatched from Pakistan to offer crucial assistance to those injured in the earthquake.
According to sources within the Ministry of Health, the relief efforts will be carried out in two phases. In the first phase, a medical team from Islamabad will depart for Afghanistan to initiate medical aid operations. Subsequently, in the second phase, medical teams from Peshawar and Quetta will follow suit to extend medical support to the injured Afghan citizens.
Heading this crucial medical mission is Dr. Faiz Achakzai, a distinguished neurosurgeon from the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) Hospital in Islamabad. The 10-member medical team comprises five nurses and five doctors specializing in Neurosurgery, General Surgery, and Bone and Joint care.
In addition to the medical personnel, a shipment of essential medicines is also being dispatched to Afghanistan alongside the medical team. However, it’s important to note that the coordination and provision of medicines for the earthquake-affected Afghan citizens will be managed by Federal hospitals.
This humanitarian response comes in the wake of a devastating earthquake that struck Afghanistan, resulting in a tragic loss of life. The Afghan govt reported that more than 2,400 people lost their lives due to the earthquake, making it one of the deadliest seismic events the country has experienced in recent years.
The earthquakes occurred in the western region of Afghanistan, approximately 35 km (20 miles) northwest of Herat city. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) recorded one of the quakes at a magnitude of 6.3. These seismic events rank among the most catastrophic earthquakes globally this year, following earlier tremors in Turkey and Syria that claimed an estimated 50,000 lives in February.
Janan Sayeeq, the spokesman for the Ministry of Disasters, provided updates on the situation, stating that the death toll had risen to 2,445, while the number of injured individuals surpassed 2,000. Furthermore, approximately 1,320 houses suffered damage or destruction in the aftermath of the earthquake.
To aid in the rescue and relief efforts, ten rescue teams have been deployed to the affected area, which shares a border with Iran. This concerted effort from Pakistan underscores the solidarity and support extended to Afghanistan during this challenging time.
