QUETTA: Parliamentary Secretary for Health Dr. Rubaba Khan Buledi on Wednesday said the Health Department had formulated a contingency plan in view of the expected arrival of Afghan refugees in Balochistan.
She expressed these views while addressing a seminar organized in connection with the inaugural function of the ‘Nutrition Response Project for COVID- 19 and Diarrhoea-affected Children under five years’ organized by Balochistan Rural Support Program (BRSP) and Government of Balochistan.
She said, “The Balochistan Health Department has formulated a contingency plan in view of the expected arrival of about 800, 000 Afghan refugees”.
Director General Health Services, Dr. Ali Nasar, BRSP Head, Nadir Gul Bareach, Director Nutrition Dr. Abid Panezai, Manager Nutrition International Shehzad Afzal, Senior Manager Health Nutrition BRSP Sirajul Haq Ghauri, Dr. Ismail Mirwani and other concerned officials were present on the occasion.
Dr. Buledi said the problem of malnutrition among children and mothers were very serious, in view of this, a nutrition emergency had been imposed in Balochistan from 2019.
“It is possible to achieve positive results, Pakistan’s first Nutrition Directorate has been set up in Quetta to bring all the nutrition programs under one roof, ” she underlined.
She said all available resources were being utilized as only healthy mother and healthy child were the guarantors of a bright future, adding Balochistan Rural Support Program (BRSP) launched nutrition program for children suffering from COVID-19 in five districts of the province which was a positive step.
Dr. Buledi said the BRSP and the Balochistan Health Department would further improve the process of mutual consultation and coordination to make nutrition-related initiatives fruitful.
She said the nutrition program would be extended to other areas so that a large population could benefit from the available resources.
BRSP Chief, Nadir Gul Bareach said that in view of the expected influx of refugees from Afghanistan, in collaboration with international organizations, especially the UNHCR, a workable strategy would be formulated.
At present, the Ministry of SAFRON has not clarified the policy in that regard, we were in touch with the government, he said adding as soon as the government clarified the policy, we would take uninterrupted steps.
Welcoming the suggestions of joint venture by the Parliamentary Secretary for Health, he said that in consultation with the Balochistan Health Department, cooperation in the medical field including nutrition had been enhanced for service delivery and provision of quality medical services to the people.