By KUNA,
Geneva : The International Organization for Migration (IOM) said Wednesday that its emergency medical program, launched in September to help restore Pakistan’s flood-damaged healthcare system, would be extended until May 2011 thanks to funds from Canada and the Pakistan Emergency Response Fund.
“New activities, starting in January 2011, would include the refurbishment of four flood-damaged health clinics in Sindh and Punjab provinces”, IOM’s spokesman Jared Bloch said.
IOM would also support the government in enhancing existing health centers for telemedicine and teleradiology.
The centers were essential for doctors in remote areas who need to consult specialists.
Four months into the flood relief operation, IOM’s rural health clinics in Sindh and Punjab continued to face high demand for basic health care.
More than 45,000 patients have been treated since the clinics had opened in early September.
“This included consultations IOM medical mobile teams, who brought basic health care to flood victims in hard-to-reach areas,” said Bloch.