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LAHORE, Dec 05 (APP): Punjab Minister for Health and Emergency Services Khawaja Salman Rafique has said that the provincial government is upgrading emergency services in line with Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif’s vision to strengthen public welfare and rapid response systems across the province.
He expressed these remarks on Friday while addressing the closing ceremony of the International Volunteer Day Certificate Challenge 2025 at the Emergency Services Headquarters, where he was the chief guest.
Welcoming British High Commission Lahore representative Ben Warrington and other dignitaries, the minister congratulated the top three winning teams and praised the efforts of Secretary Emergency Services Dr. Rizwan Naseer and his team for successfully organizing the international challenge at the Emergency Services Academy.
He said emergency services in Punjab are rapidly expanding, with new projects such as the air ambulance service, motorway ambulance operations, and induction of additional ambulances. “Under the leadership of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif, we are taking emergency services to the next level,” he said.
The minister lauded the participation of Chinese volunteer teams, calling China a “friendly country” and appreciating its contribution to the event. He noted that service to humanity is a universal value and praised volunteers for their selflessness. “Volunteers are the beauty of our society. They create convenience for others without greed. I myself started my political journey as a volunteer,” he added.
He paid tribute to rescuers for their performance during recent floods, saying they worked like “Mujahideen” while transferring victims to safer areas despite harsh weather. The minister noted that volunteers from Gilgit-Baltistan, KP, Balochistan, Sindh, Punjab and Azad Kashmir are trained at the academy according to modern standards.
The minister said Rescue 1122 will soon launch an internship program for students. He expressed hope that young volunteers will continue contributing to building a safe and resilient society.
British High Commission representative Ben Warrington said he was “extremely proud” to attend the ceremony and admired the dedication of volunteers. “Volunteers save precious human lives by providing timely assistance before the arrival of professional emergency services,” he said, appreciating the Punjab government’s efforts to enhance skills, coordination and teamwork among volunteer groups.
Parliamentary Secretary Ziaullah Shah also congratulated the participants, saying the event allowed teams to learn from each other. He said the credit for launching emergency services on the motorway goes to Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif.
Speaking at the ceremony, Secretary Emergency Services Dr. Rizwan Naseer said the mission of Rescue 1122 is to train “a lifesaver in every home.” He shared that the service has rescued more than 19 million emergency victims to date, responded to over 277,000 fire incidents—preventing an estimated Rs 760 billion in losses—and that the Motorbike Rescue Service has assisted more than 4 million victims with an average response time of just four minutes.
He encouraged students to join the Rescue Scout Corps and Pak Life Saver program through their official mobile applications.
The International Volunteer Day Certificate Challenge 2025, held from December 1 to 5 at the Emergency Services Academy Lahore, involved 61 volunteer teams from across Pakistan as well as teams from China. Participants demonstrated skills in community disaster response, search and rescue, first aid, handling fire and drowning incidents, and managing mass-casualty scenarios.
Multan secured the first position, Toba Tek Singh the second, while China and Gujrat shared third place. Cash prizes of Rs 300,000, Rs 200,000 and Rs 100,000 were awarded to the top teams, respectively.
The ceremony concluded with a parade, where volunteer contingents saluted to the national anthems of Pakistan and China. The minister and other dignitaries also inspected the parade and paid tribute to community emergency response teams, including those from educational institutions, industries and union councils.