Commissioner mobilizes resources for Rabies-free Karachi

By Abdul Qadir Qureshi
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The Commissioner Karachi, Iftikhar Shalwani, held a meeting with Dr Nasim Salahuddin, Head of Department of Infectious Diseases and a member of WHO Expert committee for Rabies and Rabies-free Karachi.

They discussed the dog bite cases, awareness among community and general public through their mobilization and their involvement at grass root level. 

Dr Nasim and his delegation members briefed the Commissioner about their organization s activities and its role in creating awareness at the community level. 

They informed about their ongoing mobilization campaign for the last 10 years towards dog bites cases, training of workers, potentialities of the community besides other things. 

The Commissioner appreciated the efforts of the organization and assured them of administration's cooperation and assistance at community level besides required coordination by allied agencies to further push up their campaign.

He immediately has established a Task Force headed by Additional Commissioner–II, Ghulam Murtaza Memon, and consisting of respective Assistant Commissioners/Revenue officers, respective agencies and Rabies free Karachi representatives to make efforts for achieving desired civil society mobilization, awareness and hold training sessions in the community with regard to pre and post treatment of dog bites cases, mass dog vaccination, animal birth control, field operation, through workshops, seminars and awareness on social media as well as other media to achieve the targets. 

He said that the organization and the Commissioner Office will work together after a mutual agreement and signing of a MoU draft of which will be submitted by them to be vetted by the Sindh Government's Law department which will be taken on board for further expansion of operation. 

The Commissioner Karachi directed the DMCs that in order to train and involve the staff of allied agencies to spare and train the sanitary workers and others staff in cooperation with the organization. It was informed that during the period 2009 to 2018 some 112 cases of dog bites were treated at Indus Hospital and Jinnah Hospital free of cost.