Lahore: The Passing Out ceremony of 467 rescuers including 393 Rescuers trained for the establishment of Emergency Service in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and 74 Rescuers of Punjab held at Emergency Services Academy while following the Corona SOPs here on Monday.
The specialized training has been imparted to passed out Rescuers to immediately send to the field to provide emergency services and also help the Corona patients.
Chief Minister Punjab Sardar Usman Ahmad Khan Buzdar, Information Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Kamran Khan Bangash represented Chief Minister KPK, Secretary for Relief Rehabilitation & Settlement Department KPK Muhammad Iqbal Wazir, Member Punjab Emergency Council MPA Ms. MussaratJamshed Cheema, Director General Punjab Emergency Service Department Dr. Rizwan Naseer, Dr Khateer Ahmad Director General Rescue Service KPK, senior Rescue Officers from Punjab and KPK, Emergency Services Academy and a large number of rescuers and their parents attended the ceremony.
In his welcoming address, DG Emergency Services, Dr Rizwan Naseer took oath from 467 rescuers including 459 male (390 KP, 69 Punjab) and 8 females (3KP, 5Punjab) passed out rescuers and congratulated them on their successful completion of professional training and becoming part of Rescue family.
Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Minister Punjab Sardar Usman Buzdar welcomed guests from KPK and congratulated the Passing out Rescuers on successful completion of specialized training and becoming part of the leading emergency service of South Asia.
He also appreciated the efforts of Rescue 1122 Punjab on rescuing over 9.6 million victims of emergencies in Punjab, training over 20 thousand emergency personnel for all provinces of Pakistan in Emergency Services Academy and achieving UN INSARAG certification in the field of Search and Rescue. He announced that the Government of Punjab has approved 258 new emergency ambulances, expansion of emergency service in 86 tehsils and Air Rescue Service for emergency services in far-flung areas. He further announced that keeping in view the risky job of Rescuers of Punjab, the Emergency Incentive reduced to 50% in 2017 shall be restored to its original approval and Risk Allowance shall be given to the staff of Rescue 1122 Punjab. He ensured that the Government of Punjab would provide all support to strengthen the Emergency Service.
Mr Kamran Khan Bangash Information Minister KPK appreciated the rescue services rendered by all Rescuers of Punjab and KPK, congratulated the passed out rescuers and their parents, and hoped that these rescuers would perform their duties with full zeal and zest to serve humanity. He especially thanked Chief Minister Punjab Sardar Usman Buzdar Khan on behalf of Chief Minister KPK for providing training and technical assistance through Emergency Services Academy to Rescue Service KPK. He said Punjab is playing the role of big brother effectively through the Rescue Service, which ultimately has helped in saving many precious lives. Therefore, we are especially grateful to the Rescue officers and instructors of Punjab for providing this training.
Earlier, Dr Rizwan Naseer briefed that Emergency Service started from District Lahore in 2004 now available in all districts of Punjab. The Service has rescued over 9.6 million victims of emergencies since its inception in October 2004. The Government of Punjab through Rescue 1122 is providing technical assistance to other provinces for the establishment of this lifesaving Service in their respective provinces. “Now, emergency services are being provided to the citizens of other provinces,” Furthermore, Emergency Services Academy has trained over 20,000 Rescuers for Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit Baltistan, Azad Jammu & Kashmir, Baluchistan and Aman Foundation from Karachi since 2004. Emergency Services Academy has become a platform for providing professional training to rescuers of all provinces of Pakistan and even South Asian countries can get benefit from this training facility. He further said that the Search and Rescue Team of Academy has become the first United Nations INSARAG certified team in South Asia.
Earlier, the passing out cadets demonstrated their professional skills of emergency management during mock exercises of deep-well rescue, water rescue, firefighting, urban search and rescue, rescue from confined spaces & rescue from height. At the end, Chief Guest distributed the best performance awards amongst the highest achievers of the Course.
