“History repeats itself, that’s one of the things that’s wrong with history.” -Clarence Darrow

United Nations Agency Doing Humanitarian Work in Kashmir

by | May 16, 2008 | Blog

Whether people realize it or not, an agency of the United Nations Organization (UNO) is very active in Kashmir

UNDP prepares docs to tackle crisis

Srinagar: Preparing the medical fraternity to cope up with the crisis situation in case of any disaster in the state, two days training programme for doctors was organized here on Monday by the divisional administration in collaboration with United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

Project coordinator UNDP, Aamir Ali said, “Doctors need to be well equipped with the latest technology and the know-how to coping up with any crisis like situations. Since Kashmir falls under seismic zone five, the training programmes like these are compulsory”.

The training programme was inaugurated by Director SKIMS, Dr. Abdul Hamid Zargar and attended by Principal Government Medical College, Srinagar, Dr. Mushtaq Ahmad, Medical Superintendent Psychiatric hospital, Dr. Hameed-ullah, project coordinator UNDP and HoD Disaster Management, IMPA, Srinagar G.M. Dar.

About 40 doctors associated with different health institutions of the state participated in the training programme. The training was imparted by the experts from Academy of Traumatology, Ahmedabad, Dr. Sharad Vyas and Dr. Pankaj Patel.

The programme named “Trainer’s Training Programme for Disaster Preparedness in Hospitals” is being organized under the Urban Earthquake Vulnerability Reduction Project of UNDP. “The programme is aimed at training the medical professionals to make them respond to the unpredictable situations arising due to disasters effectively with optional promptness and minimum chaos,” said Dr Dar. The experts made the participants to go through an intensive programme lectures, table top exercises, practical skill training, followed by an assessment of practical skill. “Doctors in valley need to chalk out a plan so that they can be ready to counter any happening and be prepared for facing any disaster whether manmade or natural,” said Dr Pankaj.

While speaking on the occasion, Dr Hameed Zargar said that the primary and secondary healthcare systems in valley need to be strengthened for copping any disaster. “We need to train non-professionals so that they can help in minimize the losses during the disaster,” he said. Aamir Ali said that divisional administration is in the process of identifying a disaster management teams in valley that could be trained with basics of managing any disaster.

(Rising Kashmir)