Ambulance Support For Pakistan's Kashmir Region

Turkish International Cooperation and Development Agency gave ambulance support for Disabled Rehabilitation Forum which is a non-governmental organization that operates in Kashmir Region of Pakistan.

The earthquake in Kashmir in 2005 has led to the loss of many lives and many people became homeless. In Bagh, where the earthquake hit worst and 60 % of the housings were demolished, most of the people who were rescued from the wreckage with injuries were paralyzed due to spinal cord injuries and needed ambulance for hospital services. In this context, TIKA donated rough terrain ambulances to Disabled Rehabilitation Forum which operates in Bagh where 250 people with disabilities who suffered spinal cord injuries after the earthquake are formally registered.

With TIKA’s donations disabled citizens who were transferred to the hospitals in Islamabad and surrounding cities by travelling 150-200 km’s each day, will have more comfortable and timely access to the hospitals. With rough terrain ambulances, the patients will be timely reached also in emergency cases and transferred to the nearest health center.

The delivery ceremony of the ambulance -TIKA’s first development aid in Kashmir- was participated by Ministry of Youth’s Disabilities Coordinator Kashmir Qazi Zahid Hamid, Head of Zakat Council in Bagh Sardar Muhammad Rafiq Baig representing the Kashmir Minister of Health, President of the FORD NGO Aqeel Haider, Bagh District Hospital Chief Rafiq Raja Khizar and citizens. During his speech at the ceremony, Kashmir Ministry of Youth’s Disabilities Coordinator Hamid expressed the contentment of Kashmir people for Turkey’s aid to Bagh by saying “Having TIKA representatives with us here today feels as if all Turkey is here.” The ceremony ended following the delivery of the ambulance key to the authorities by TIKA officials.