Re: UAE to airlift quake victims to Emirates - Thank you
UAE plans to build $16 million in Pakistani Azad Kashmir. :k:
Pakistan’s Quake Victims arrive UAE for Medical Treatment
Eighteen more earthquake victims from Pakistan and their relatives have arrived in the UAE, after the first batch of 11 who were airlifted to UAE by a C-130 aircraft two days ago. Six each from the second batch of seriously injured patients are currently under treatment at Shaikh Khalifa Medical City, Zayed Military Hospital and Mafraq Hospital. Five of the six, four females and a male, at the Khalifa Medical City have been reduced to paraplegics with spinal chord fractures, and will be operated upon soon. Hospital sources say that a 32-year-old Mohammed Farooq still has to be diagnosed. The condition of the patients was described as stable, but they need continuous medical attention since they have open and infectious wounds, doctors attending on them said.
Death and Destruction
Having witnessed large scale death and destruction from close quarters, most of the patients had similar tales of sorrow and misery they suffered at the hands of the jerks and jolts, given to them and their dwellings by the strongest-ever tremors, which have erupted in this part of the world after almost 100 years. Khalid Mahmood, husband of Shaheeda, who has a broken backbone, said: “When the earth began shaking, I was at work. When I came back, what I saw was piles of mud and concrete in place of my house. I dug with my hands to pull out my wife and five-year-old son from under the debris.” But he could not save any of the herds, his sole livelihood. “I could not even retrieve a piece of cloth, and survived at the mercy of some neighbours,” Mahmood said. The people of his mountain village were living in makeshift tarpaulin tents which cannot withstand heavy rains. “Food is scarce and enough or required aid has not reached the people yet. Until I came here, we were existing with what little we could manage from the neighbourhood. Now there is no food left and I wonder how my friends and relatives will survive,” Mahmood said. Khan Mohammed from Zilla Zawabi, Seema Nazir, Nuzhat and Azra are the other four patients under treatment at the Medical City.
Multiple Fractures
The Zayed Military Hospital has admitted two children, a boy and a girl, aged five and six respectively, with multiple fractures with skin hanging on their flesh, in addition to four women, some with spinal chord injuries. Some more patients are expected to arrive from Pakistan in the coming week.
**Plan for $16m Hospital **
A report from Abu Dhabi says that the Government of UAE has finalised a plan to construct a $16 million state-of-the-art hospital in earthquake-ravaged Muzaffarabad on a war-footing. Ali Mohammed Al Shamsi, the Ambassador of the UAE, visited Muzaffarabad and selected three suitable sites for the establishment of the hospital, out of which one site would be finally selected within a day or two. The construction work is likely to start as early as next month, as the UAE government wanted to carry out its relief activities on a war-footing without wasting any time. The four-storeyed hospital building would be constructed on 16,000 sq. metres. The engineering blue-print and designing would be done in Abu Dhabi, and by next week, the drawings would be sent to Muzaffarabad to kick-start the project.
Relief Mission
Meanwhile, leaders of Pakistani community organisations here would leave for Pakistan on relief mission. Shahid ul Islam Khan, General-Secretary of Pakistan Association Dubai, said he and two other leaders, Tanvir ul Islam Khawaja, President of the Pakistan Business Council and M. Iqbal Dawood, President of DUKAMZ, are set to leave for Pakistan to personally supervise the distribution of humanitarian aid in the quake-affected areas. During their visit, the team will also meet aid agencies, non-governmental organisations [NGOs] and quake survivors to ascertain the requirement of relief aid. The Joint Relief Committee of the Pakistan Association Dubai has been working round the clock since it was created on October-8. It has solicited help for the collection and packing of more than 400 tons of humanitarian goods consisting of tents, blankets, generators, medicines, oxygen cylinders, first aid boxes, among others.
Donations
Apart from donating 1,100 metric tons of relief goods including tents, blankets, medicines, clothing, foodstuff, the Pakistani community in the UAE has donated $16 million in cash, against 25 million pound sterling raised by their counterparts in United Kingdom and $25 million in the US. Neopharma and NMC Group have together come forward to donate Dh1.1 million worth of medicines and medical aid for the quake-hit areas of Pakistan. Three truckloads carrying seven metric tones of medicine and medical supplies were handed over to the Pakistan Embassy’s deputy head of mission Akhtar Ali Suleheri, by Dr B.R. Shetty, Managing Director and CEO. Expressing profound grief over the loss of life and property, he announced full-fledged support measures to the victims. Even though there are adequate medical professionals in Pakistan, Dr Shetty has extended medical professional support from the NMC hospitals to be deputed in Pakistan as and when required.
http://pakistantimes.net/2005/10/22/top4.htm#pt14082005