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| October 06, 2006 | Friday | Ramazan 12, 1427 |
Marginal rehab activities make survivors sceptic
DADOLA, Oct 5: Resentment over the almost non-existent rebuilding activities is growing in Dadola union council of Abbottabad district, where the government has failed to even rebuild the area’s sole basic health unit not to talk of the provision of housing subsidy and restoration of civic services.
In sharp contrast to official statements and reports of a successful rebuilding process in the quake-hit areas, the union council, an abode to poor and lower-middle class people, is yet to get any attention of the Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Authority (Erra) and the local government.
The BHU was partially functional prior to the earthquake. The doctor did not regularly attend his duties, said a local resident.
He said the October 8 devastating quake damaged the BHU building. Later, Omar Asghar Khan Development Foundation set up a temporary BHU in Dadola that is providing health services to local people since December last year.
There is little evidence to the government’s plans to reconstruct the damaged BHU despite the fact that only few days are left to the first anniversary of the deadly earthquake.
Since the earthquake, health care needs have multiplied. Those injured by the natural disaster were treated in field hospitals. But, these facilities have since been wound up and the facilities destroyed by the quake have not been reconstructed.
Even for minor illnesses we travel to hospitals in Garhi Habibullah or Abbottabad, said Fayyaz, another resident.
To demand better health care needs, more than 600 protesters marched through the streets of Abbottabad on February 4, 2006, and made their way to the office of the nazim and District Coordination Officer (DCO). Though the nazim was present in his office, he decided against making a public appearance. The DCO, however, agreed to meet the public. Not much has been done since then.
Lack of health facilities affects women more than men. Rashida gave birth to a baby girl. But, due to a post-partum complication the local midwife was unable to control her bleeding. She was brought to Abbottabad in a critical stage. She was fortunate to receive proper treatment and had now recovered.
There is one ambulance for the entire Allai tehsil, said Shakeel, a local. In emergency, patients are often carried on a charpoy to a health facility.
People in the earthquake affected areas are discussing the state of health and other social services as part of a series of 40 village meetings organised by Omar Asghar Khan Development Foundation since September in districts Abbottabad, Battagram, Mansehra and Kohistan.
The series of village meetings will culminate at a People’s Assembly in Balakot on October 8. More than 2,000 women and men affected by the earthquake will participate in the assembly in Balakot. It will begin with prayers for those who lost their lives in the tragedy last year.
The rehabilitation process presents unprecedented opportunities to address disaster-generated as well as chronic health care issues.
It is important that local people are involved in shaping rehabilitation policies so that they are responsive to their needs, stresses Ali Asghar Khan, chairperson of Omar Asghar Khan Development Foundation. The People’s Assembly in Balakot will provide local people an opportunity to express their priorities and influence rehabilitation policies and process.
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