ISLAMABAD, Jul 09 (APP):Chairman National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), Lieutenant General Inam Haider Malik on Sunday held an interactive meeting with Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis to discuss key points related to disaster management and resilience upon his visit here to NDMA headquarters.

The meeting focused on various aspects of disaster preparedness and collaboration between the two countries in the field of disaster management, a news release said.

The Chairman National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) emphasized the significance of local community engagement in order to enable disaster resilience.

He highlighted the unprecedented Floods 2022 emphasizing the need for an efficient Early Warning System (EWS) in place to mitigate the adverse impacts of such disasters.

He stressed the crucial role of disaster preparedness in Pakistan, stating that managing two simultaneous disasters can be a daunting task and have severe consequences.

He apprised the Swiss delegation of inclusive and people-centric disaster preparedness system, mentioning three National Simulation Exercises (SimExs) conducted by NDMA to enhance disaster preparedness in Pakistan.

The Chairman NDMA informed about the establishment of NEOC to generate National Common Operating Picture (NCOP) for all relevant stakeholders to mitigate likely impacts of disasters and setting up NDMA’s Think Tank, NIDM to collaborate with think tanks, NGOs, INGOs, academia, and industry stakeholders both domestically and globally to develop effective policy recommendations and reduce disaster risk. He underlined the importance of reaching out to regional universities for knowledge sharing and capacity building.

Swiss Foreign Minister, Ignazio Cassis, expressed his gratitude for MoU on disaster management cooperation between Switzerland and Pakistan. He highlighted the similarity in topography and challenges faced by both countries, and emphasized the importance of technological knowledge in dealing with complex disaster management challenges and risk management. Minister Cassis expressed his interest in exploring common solutions and collaboration opportunities.

Swiss Minister lauded the development and achievements in disaster management in Pakistan and expressed his anticipation for future cooperation based on the MoU. The meeting concluded with an agreement to continue to work closely together to enhance disaster management capabilities and share best practices in the field.

ISLAMABAD, Jul 09 (APP): Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday took notice of the eruption of fire in an oil refinery in Ali Pur Chatta and directed for immediate and swift measures for the safeguard of public and the staff deputed there.

The prime minister also ordered an inquiry into the incident, PM Office Media Wing said in a press release.

ISLAMABAD, Jul 9 (APP):Health experts on Sunday encouraged youngsters to play their active role for a noble cause of ‘Blood Donation’ awareness drives with social media platforms to overcome the common myths in backward areas of the country and urged stakeholders to invest in upgrading the existing infrastructure.

Talking to PTV news channel, District Health Officer Dr. Zaeem stressed that there was a need to educate the public and eliminate unfounded myths in order to encourage volunteer blood donation, adding, people only donate blood when there is an emergency-like situation.

He said that the availability of screened fresh blood in a hospital was essential part and is required every day for critical patients, especially when there was a major operation or child birth.

We, the whole society should join hands and encourage our people living in rural areas and youngsters to embrace the noble act of blood donation, for it is through our collective efforts that we can save lives, he added.

Another Senior Medical officer Dr Amina said that it was a fact that donating blood was a simple and safe procedure, adding, the donated blood can save the lives of people in need and it also benefit the donor’s overall health.
“Everyone who can donate blood should consider making regular donations”, she added.

“In Pakistan, people usually come out and donate blood when an unfortunate incident occurs. But sometimes these contributions are too late to save a life”, she regretted.

Replying to a query, she said the body normally replaces the donated blood cells with new cells within 6 to 8 weeks, adding, blood can be donated every six months by males and every eight months by females.

To another question, she told a common misconception is that donating blood leads to weakness or health problems.

In reality, the human body is capable of replenishing the donated blood within a short period, usually within 24-48 hours.

She advised the donors to take rest, hydrate and eat nutritious meals after donation.

ISLAMABAD, Jul 8 (APP): Pakistan strongly condemned the terrorist attack in Zahidan on Saturday, resulting in the loss of lives of two Iranian security personnel.

In a statement, the Foreign Office said, “We express our deepest condolences to the bereaved families and pray for the swift recovery of those injured.”
 
“Pakistan stands in complete solidarity with the government and people of Iran in this common fight against the scourge of terrorism.”