QUETTA: The World Health Organization (WHO) signed an agreement with the provincial health department to rebuild 100 primary healthcare centers and provide necessary medical equipment and solar systems to the flood-affected areas of 12 districts in Balochistan.
Six memorandums of understanding (MoUs) were signed at the ceremony, which was attended by Dr Palitha Mahipala, the WHO country head, Health Minister Syed Ehsan Shah, and Health Secretary Muhammad Saleh Nasar.
Under the agreement, the WHO will renovate 100 primary healthcare centers and provide medical equipment, furniture, and solar systems, while the provincial health department will ensure the continuity of health services through human resources and ensure supplies from the health system.
During the ceremony, the health secretary received equipment and vehicles from WHO for the National Maternal and Newborn Child Health program, and the solar system for the provincial EPI cold chain room was inaugurated.
This solar system would save around Rs80 million in fuel bills every year. The provincial health minister expressed his gratitude to the WHO country head for providing medical equipment and medicines for flood victims.
According to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) report, 238 people killed and 34 districts and at least 360,000 people had been affected during the last year rains in Balochistan.
More than 500,000 livestock have died across the Balochistan province, where livestock are a critical source of sustenance and livelihoods for many families.
At least 17,500 houses have been destroyed and another 43,900 houses partially damaged.
In addition to houses and croplands, 1,000 km of roads and 18 bridges have also been damaged and impede access across flood-affected areas.
Internet outages have also been reported, with the Pakistan Telecommunications Authority attributing widespread internet cuts in central and northern Pakistan on 19 August to technical faults in the fiberoptic network resulting from the heavy rains and floods, said the NDMA report.
