Operation Center Established To Respond Public Health Emergency

An integrated Public Health Operation Center to respond all types of public health emergencies under one roof launched on Monday in Islamabad by the Directorate of Health Services (DHS).

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 19th Oct, 2020 ) :An integrated Public Health Operation Center to respond all types of public health emergencies under one roof launched on Monday in Islamabad by the Directorate of Health Services (DHS).

The operation room is first of its own kind in the country which has been developed with meager resources to address different emergencies in the Federal capital, Director General Health Services Islamabad Dr. Hasan Arooj told APP.

Inaugurating the Operation Center which caters for organizing preparedness and response activities in Islamabad during the pandemic, he said that the operation center has the potential to expand and work under unified command and control.

That unique model would feasible to prevent COVID-19, Dengue, challenges posed by polio EPI and other public health calamities in future.

DG said that Islamabad has been registered in the World Health Orgnizations (WHO's) healthy city program after untiring efforts to make the city safer. .

He shared that the burden of dengue patients has been less 10 times from the surrounding areas in urban Islamabad in the last nine years.

"Islamabad is polio free for last 14 years due to the hard work of worker's supervisors, inspectors, vaccinators, and front line professionals was the core behind this success", DG said.

Dr. Palitha Mahipala Country Head, WHO on the occasion highly appreciated the concept and establishment of integrated Public Health Operation Center under one roof at Directorate of Health Services, Metropolitan Corporation Islamabad (MCI).

Mentioning the importance of public health surveillance he said the main role of the center is to control disease.

He highly praised the leadership and professional work of Dr. Hasan Orooj which has performed well during Covid-19 epidemic.

He said that operation center will go a long way in achieving integrated response towards public health epidemics.

Three major emergency issues were being dealt at present i.e. Covid-19, Dengue Prevention and Control and Polio Eradication in the operation center, DG told WHO representative in a briefing.

The data from the Dash board is centrally collected, analyzed and response was made through different teams.

Country Head WHO appreciated the vision of Dr. Arooj, on establishing this integrated center and his efforts for registering in the programme.