Over 75000 Pak Army troops engaged in relief operations
By Saad Ahmed

RAWALPINDI—Over 75000 troops of the Pakistan Army are committed in relief and rescue operations in earthquake affected areas in Azad Kashmir and NWFP even on eid day.
Relief and rescue operations will continue during the eid holidays. Senior Military Commanders shall be with the troops in the field on Eid day, in keeping with the military traditions, says an ISPR release. As many as forty four helicopters including fifteen of allied countries flew over hundred hours to airlift 221 tons of relief items to theaffected areas. 1489 tents and 6227 blankets were also transported to various affected parts of Azad Kashmir and NWFP. Relief good were also dispatched by road where as mules were also used for those inaccessible areas where there is no road link. As many as 140 mules were used for transportation of 4600 kilograms of relief items in village Jacha, Ghonul, Pattika, Padher and Misuch in NWFP areas.
Arrangements have been made for celebrations of eid with 1852 Patients who are still admitted in various Military hospitals at Rawalpindi , Peshawar, Nowshera Abbottabad, Murree, Mangla, Jhelum,Kharian, Gujranwala, Sialkot and Lahore. Doctors, paramedics and authorities at the military hospitals are committed to provide a very cordial and congenial environment to the earthquake patients. Specially trained nursing staff and other paramedics have been employed to take care of those who are still under treatment in these hospitals.
Many senior officers from Army and their families and others from various walks of life daily visit these wards and inquire about the health of the patients, spent some time with them, present them various gift items and express their solidarity with them in this hour of need.
Following October 8 earthquake over 11000 patients were registered in these Military Hospitals most of them in Rawalpindi. Besides treatment of patients at the Military Hospitals that thousands others were injured on 8 October are being treated by a team of 121Army doctors and 334 paramedics in forward areas. Presently over 600 doctors and 808 paramedics including foreign countries, NGOs and volunteers are providing necessary medical treatment to earthquake victims in forward areas.
Army doctors at the Military Hospitals carried out 4976 majors and 7043 minor operations.