Disaster Management Mock Exercise

A Mock Exercise for Disaster Management was organized at University of Gujrat on Friday, May 22, 2015 by Nawaz Sharif Medical College  in collaboration with District Administration and Office of Research, Innovation & Commercialization (ORIC). The objective of this mock exercise was to assess the ability of different departments of local government regarding resccue activities during a disaster. These exercises began with a false explosion at UoG BS block and a rescue call was Started within seconds after that. The rescue teams reached the place of explosion within minutes and began rescue work abruptly. Among those rescue teams were included Rescue 1122, Edhi, Falah e Insaniyat Foundation, Bomb Disposal Squad, Red Crescent, Al-Khidmat Foundation, Police, Elite Force, TMA Fire Brigade. In the meantime, representatives of district administration and Police also reached there and started supervising the rescue work. The ambulances started transporting the wounded to the nearest hospital i.e. Aziz Bhatti Shaheed Hospital. An Emergency was declared at ABSH and the wounded were abruptly attended by the doctors, nurses and paramedics staff providing them first aid. A concluding ceremony was held after successful completion of this Drill/Mock Exercise. The DCO Gujrat, Mr. Liaqat Ali Chatha said that Pakistan was facing terrorist activities at large and the nation should be prepared for confronting all those perils and disasters. He told that we could face all those challenges producing unity among the nation. He told that the aim of those mock exercises was to prepare different departments and institutions of local government for any emergent situation. He said that serving the humanity was a greater cause. He congratulated all the stakeholders of those exercises for their professional achievements. He hoped that those exercises would help to improve the quality of services. The Registrar UoG, Dr Tahir Aqil said that better planning could help us to avoid disasters and unexpected situation. He said that strategic planning had become essential for disaster management. Principal NSMC Prof Dr Sajjad Hussain said that crisis management had become a permanent discipline in the modern world. He told that Pakistani nation had been united at the time of crisis. He highlighted the importance of rehabilitation and reconstruction after a disaster. Dr Mudasser Iqbal said that those exercises had provided us an opportunity to assess our strength and ability at the time of any disaster. He appreciated the cooperation of different departments of local government in this regard. He hoped that those mock exercises would help to improve the system of rescue activities. The Coordinators, Prof Dr Zafar Iqbal Gill and Prof Dr Muhammad Ateeq said that participation of 14 departments and volunteer organizations in those mock exercises for disaster management would provide an opportunity to improve cooperation among the institutions regarding disaster management. They hoped that Emergency at ABSH would be improved in the light of findings during those disaster management exercises. The MS ABSH, Dr Mian Wajid Hussain and Principal Paramedics School, Dr Makhdoom Safdar said unanimously that those exercises had proved brilliant and helpful for the staff. The evaluation report of this mock exercise for disaster management will be sent to different departments for removing the deficiencies.