By Minahil Makhdoom
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister (PM) Focal Person on ‘Panahgahs’ Naseem ur Rehman Monday kicked off an ‘Eco-friendly Week’ at shelter homes of the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad by planting a sapling of Java Plum (Jamun) at a facility located in sector G-9. The initiative was aimed at encouraging the involvement of daily wage earners in environment-friendly activities to ensure their physical, mental and social well-being, the focal person told the media after inaugurating the second week of ‘Promoting Healthy Lives’ drive here.
He said under this week, more than 100 plants of fruit bearing trees would be planted at all the ‘Panahgahs’ of the two cities with active support of staffers of the Islamabad Metropolitan Corporation (IMC), service providers at shelter homes, Saylani teams and daily wage earners. At least 20 fruit bearing trees had been planted at G-9 ‘Panahgah’, he added. “It is heartening to see that local nurseries, IMC Environment Wing, Aims Education System and Islamabad Ladies Council enthusiastically take part in the ‘Promoting Health Lives’ drive for taking forward the prime minister’s ‘Shajar Kari Muhim’ (plantation drive),†Naseem said, adding health promotion was not just the responsibility of health sector but needed collective social action.
Elucidating the ‘Promoting Healthy Lives’ Drive, he said the four-week campaign was imperative to transform the shelters into eco-friendly and healthy spaces. “The management has been making extensive efforts to keep ‘Panahgahs’ neat and clean since the onset of the novel coronavirus pandemic.†He said as part of the drive, the management had devoted four weeks to shelters where the importance of the best practices to avoid health risks, particularly in bustling, would be emphasised. Naseem said the first week of drive titled ‘Cleanliness Week’ had already been observed with active participation of government departments and volunteers of ‘Panahgahs’. The service providers, civil society representatives and officials of local administration had helped spread messages regarding health among shelter residents and other beneficiaries.
He said awareness sessions focused on various themes, including healthy food, hand hygiene and tobacco-free spaces.
Recommended screenings would be carried out in the third week, whereas politicians and civil society and private sector representatives would be invited to partner with the management for the betterment of the shelters and their residents, the focal person noted. Before the launching of drive, he said nearly 30 service providers of all the shelters in the twin cities had been trained for four themes: cleanliness, clean drinking water, recommended public health screenings for crowded areas and the eradication of tobacco and other harmful substances.
