rki.news
Altaf Hamid Rao
MIRPUR (AJK), Sept. 18: A week-long Fire and Safety training programme for healthcare personnel concluded at the District Health Office Mirpur on Friday with completion of the sixth and final batch comprising Medical Officers serving as centre in-charges, it was officially said.
The training was organised under the supervision of District Health Officer Mirpur Dr. Fidah Hussain Raja in collaboration with the Civil Defence Department, DHO office spokesperson told this Correspondent.
The programme covered various batches of medical technicians, EPI technicians, lady health visitors, officers and officials of the District Health Office, besides the final batch of centre in-charges and Medical Officers.
Speaking at the concluding ceremony, DHO Dr. Fidah Hussain Raja said the training aimed to equip field staff and technical personnel of the Health Department with practical and technical skills in fire prevention, emergency response, proper use of firefighting equipment and professional handling of unforeseen situations.
He said the first phase of the training had been successfully completed, while the second phase would focus on safety audits of all private hospitals, followed by necessary measures to improve fire and emergency safety standards.
During the training, participants were briefed on basic fire-safety principles, techniques for dealing with different types of fires, use of fire extinguishers, emergency evacuation procedures, immediate safety measures and protection of human lives during emergencies. Practical exercises were also conducted to familiarise participants with emergency response procedures.
The concluding ceremony was attended by Additional District Health Officer Dr. Nadeem Fazal Dad, Additional Principal Medical Officer Dr. Fatima Yaqoob, Assistant District Health Officer Dr. Shamaila Kiran, Assistant Director Civil Defence Raja Muhammad Ishtiaq, Assistant Director Surveillance Muhammad Riaz and District Superintendent Vaccination Abdul Waheed.
Civil Defence technical staff, supervised by Chief Instructors Abdul Rauf Qamar and Madam Zubia, stressed the importance of fire-safety and emergency-response training for protecting patients, attendants and healthcare workers at health facilities.
Participants described the sessions as useful and practical and appreciated the leadership of the DHO and cooperation of the Civil Defence Department. They pledged to apply the knowledge gained at their respective health centres.
Dr. Fidah Hussain Raja thanked the Civil Defence team, chief instructors, relevant officials and participants for their cooperation and expressed resolve to continue capacity-building initiatives.
Later, certificates of appreciation were presented to participants for outstanding performance, while the Civil Defence team was honoured with appreciation shields and certificates.
