Health Minister hails support for Kashmir Earthquake - December 2005

Health Minister, Mohammed Naseer Khan, announced today that the UK pharmaceutical industry had donated over £2.4 million of medicines specifically requested by the WHO and the Government of Pakistan. The medicines delivered in 7 shipments over the past five weeks have been coordinated in the UK by International Health Partners working with the WHO and Islamic Relief in Islamabad and the disaster areas. The medicines are being distributed across Kashmir in cooperation with the Relief Commission, the Ministry of Health, the WHO and five international NGOs - Islamic Relief, Merlin, Humanity First, Muslim Hands and Islamic Aid.

Minister Naseer said: “This innovative partnership working exemplifies just what can be achieved when Government, the Private Sector and Civil Society Organisations work hand in hand to tackle otherwise insurmountable problems. Now that the immediate emergency logistics have been put in place, I would like to ask the international community to continue to stand alongside us. Over the next five months we need to provide emergency primary health support to the communities in the mountain villages. Programmes supporting children and maternal care and those protecting against pneumonia and influenza are a priority. I would like to ask the international community to work with us as we seek to deliver a programme to protect the health of our children, the next generation. With winter now fast approaching, those under five will be especially vulnerable.”

Relief Commissioner Major General Farooq Ahmed Khan commented: “The field hospitals and operating theatres in Kashmir will directly benefit from this timely donation of essential medicines. I am pleased to see that the first supplies from IHP arrived in Pakistan within 4 days of the earthquake. These supplies will save many lives in the coming weeks as we treat the victims from the greatest natural disaster that our nation has faced. I want to take this opportunity of thanking the pharmaceutical industry in the United Kingdom for providing the people of Pakistan with exactly what they required in their time of need.”

Mark Lyall Grant, The British High Commissioner said: “The Department for International Development has been keen to support IHP to enable the UK pharmaceutical industry, the largest in Europe, to play its part in bringing much needed medical aid to the earthquake victims. It is especially good that so many UK doctors have been able to help in providing the primary and trauma care needed, and that the first IHP Doctor’s Travel Packs were in use within 4 days of the earthquake.”

Dr Adil Al Mahi, Country Director of Islamic Relief said: “We are working in close coordination with international and local NGOs in the earthquake zone providing medical relief teams and ensuring that the appropriate audits and controls are both in place and working well. Islamic Relief both in the UK and Pakistan have welcomed the opportunity of partnering with IHP to ensure that the donated medicines get to the people who most need them.”

Anthony Dunnett, President of International Health Partners, visiting Islamabad and the affected areas to audit the donations, commented: “We have received tremendous cooperation from the Pakistan Government, the WHO, international community and Islamic Relief who have been independently auditing the handling of the donated medicines on the ground. The excellent coordination and management of essential medicines provided by the WHO have ensured the safety and appropriate distribution of the donated medicines. It is important to note that there has been full transparency and accountability ensuring that international donations are properly and effectively managed, and responsibly and carefully distributed.”

He continued, “The medical donations from the UK have been provided by 29 different companies, supporting two of IHP’s programmes – Disaster Relief and Doctor’s Travel Packs (DTPs). The DTPs have been used by over 50 UK doctors who have travelled to Kashmir from the UK to work in the emergency medical teams. Each Doctor’s Travel Pack contains 37 different primary health care medicines, sufficient to treat up to 1,000 children and adults. The last pack was delivered today to the new medical tent city in Islamabad run by Humanity First, to provide ongoing post operative treatment to those who have been discharged from hospital to make space for others.

I want to pay tribute to the other UK NGOs with whom we have worked – Islamic Relief, Humanity First, Muslim Hands and Merlin, all working 24/7 to provide, food shelter and medical help to those in the affected areas. I would like to thank Islamic Relief and DfID for meeting our costs of sourcing and handling the donated medicines. Each £1 donated to IHP has enabled us to source and send over £20 of medicines to those providing the front line medical services.”