Joint efforts put in place to handle rush of patients

The affected people, majority of them women and children, were moved to the THQ hospital Drosh where treatments were extended to them. According to SHO Drosh Nazir Shah, the incident took place in the house of Zahiruddin where people had gathered to attend a wedding program. He said the Drosh police were informed at 6:30pm after which the police made arrangements to send vehicles to the area to bring the people to the hospital. Necessary arrangements were also made at the THQ hospital. Dr. Iftikharuddin and Dr. Ziaul Mulk of THQ hospital Drosh confirmed that more than 250 patients were brought to the hospital, a few of them in serious conditions but timely treatments saved their lives. They said all the available medicines were utilized whereas the stock of VCH was also used. After the arrival of such a huge number of patients, an emergency was declared at the THQ hospital but the available beds fell short to accommodate them. Resultantly, the patients were laid on the floor. Chitral Scouts officials arranged temporary camping inside the hospital and a large number of patients were shifted to tents where paramedics of the army and the Chitral Scouts provided them first aid. Chitral Scouts also arranged ambulances for any emergency purposes. Due to loadshedding in the area there was an acute problem of lighting in the hospital and local people provided their electric generators to the hospital.  Local volunteers took active part in the relief activities. Meanwhile, the district health officer, Dr. Israr, also arrived in the hospital from Chitral with one ambulance and necessary medicines. By late night all the patients were discharged from the hospital. But during the whole situation, the assistant commissioner of Drosh was nowhere to be seen and his absence created hindrances in the smooth handling of the emergency situation.]]>