Speakers at a seminar on Saturday recognised the public sector's apathy towards disaster preparedness and the need to develop effective public-private partnership to create facilities for such situations.
They were speaking at a seminar on "Major Incident Planning", held under the auspices of Ziauddin Medical University at a local hotel on Saturday.
Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad Khan said that the provincial government had already set up a crisis management board but there was need to create inter-linking of the private and public sector facilities.
He said that during May 7-June 10 incidents of terrorism traumatised the people of Karachi in particular and of the entire country in general.
He said that a realisation had come to the government that the crisis management was week in the public sector and costly in the private sector.
At the same time, the existing facilities were inadequate and needed improvement, the governor said.
He said: "Government alone can not handle this problem. It is manageable only through private-public partnership."
The governor said that the government would do its part to take effective steps, such as swift mobilisation of local authority departmental staff and resources to assist the emergency services as and when required.
He said that there was need for guidelines for effective communications between the various agencies involved in such an operation.
Ibad said that there should also be standardised procedure for identification of hospitals and hospital personnel so that the designated hospitals and personnel assumed their responsibilities during such an event as soon as possible.
He said that the Karachi police should prepare it's own major incident plan that should be regularly reviewed and updated. City council has a major role to play and its involvement in the event of a major incident should be well co-ordinated with the other healthcare providers, such as ambulance services, major hospitals of the city, both public and private.
He said he would like to re-emphasise that media, community organisations, and the community at large has a responsibility and should come forward on this issue of crisis management and co-operate with the government.
PRIOR PLANNING: Chancellor of the ZMU Dr Asim Hussain said: "We all know that we can protect the lives and assets of our citizens and can also reduce the disruption to daily life of the city if we have prior planning. This will minimise decision making during a disastrous event and will ensure the organisational stability. We can minimise potential economic loss and legal liability."
He said it was the time to learn from the recent past happenings when acts of terrorism claimed a large number of lives and loss to properties took place. The city had been made a dangerous place to live.
He suggested that every casualty department must have facilities to communicate directly with ambulance service and the police. There should be a standard procedure that should be followed in every hospital to alert the relevant staff.
He said that every district should have at least two units of 50-100 beds in each district hospital and all of them should be standardised. The facilities should be ample, including medicine, equipment and trained medical and para-medical personnel.
HOSPITAL CHARGES: He said that there should be standardisation of rate that private hospital charge for providing medical care in emergencies. The rates should be minimum and affordable by the government/individual. The rates should have the approval of the government. "If nothing else the cost of medication should be protected." Trauma centres should be located nearer to probable targets of terrorism.
He said that a study should be carried out by the Sindh government to find out causes of terrorism.
He said that ZMU was prepared to train police, rangers and the staff of the fire brigade in handling traumatic situations.
Sindh police chief Syed Kamal Shah opined that the community should come forward in identifying suspects to minimise chances of fatal incidents.
Others who spoke on the occasion included VC ZMC Shahid Aziz Siddiqui, Chief Secretary Aslam Sanjrani, Professor Rashid Jooma, Professor Younus Soomro and DG Health Dr H. B. Memon.
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