|
WHO stockpiled medical supplies ahead of
cyclone “Mahasen”
DHAKA, May 20, 2013: The World Health Organization
(WHO) has made a sizable stock of emergency medicines and other healthcare
supplies ahead of the cyclone ‘Mahasen’ hit
coastal Bangladesh
on May 16, 2013.
The severe cyclone generated in the Bay of
Bengal, however, weakened and turned into a tropical storm before it hit
parts of Bangladesh,
saving many lives and livestock as well as crops and properties.
As the storm ended up in a weaker state than
initially expected, damage was mild to moderate. A total of 95,003 poorly
constructed huts were damaged or destroyed, 15 people died, and nearly 1.3
million were affected across the country. Losses to crops exceeded Taka 400
million (US $ 5.14 million).
The country's second-largest city, Chittagong,
was brought to a stand-still and airports were shut down. Approximately 1
million people sought refuge in shelters, roughly 600,000 of whom lived around Chittagong.
The WHO supplies, stockpiled
under the Interagency Emergency Health Kit 2011 (IEHK) package,
included: medicines for diarrhea,
acute respiratory illness, analgesics, antibiotics, first aid and dressing
materials, eye ointment, vitamins and water purifying tablets. More…
|
|
SAVAR-TRAGEDY: Immediate response and
psychosocial support
DHAKA, May 20: Bangladesh
has recently shaken by the worst ever mishap in its garment industry which
is the country’s biggest export earner (US $20 Billion per year) and the
single largest employer for women workers. The accident took place on April
24 after a faulty eight-storey building in suburban Savar
area collapsed, leaving nearly 1,200 poor garment workers perished in the
rubble and injuring several hundred others.
Immediate after the accident, the World Health Organization (WHO)
provided emergency medicines, blood transfusions sets, dressing and first
aid materials along with injection Tetanus Immuno
Globulin and injection Tetanus Toxoid.
As requested by Government of Bangladesh, the supplies were given
to government’s Savar Upazila
Health Complex (SUHC), National Institute of Traumatology
and Rehabilitation (NITOR), Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) and
private Enam
Medical College
and Hospital (EMCH) for treatment of the injured people.
More…
|
|
WHO-Bangladesh Country Office relocated
 The WHO
Country Office for Bangladesh
has been relocated from Dhanmondi to Gulshan in Dhaka. Dr Samlee Plianbangchang,
WHO Regional Director for South East Asia,
inaugurated the new office premises located in House No. CWN (A)16, Road # 48 in
Gulshan-2, Dhaka, on Monday, the 6th of March
2012. Acting WHO Representative to Bangladesh,
Dr Arun Bhadra Thapa, and other national and international staff members
attended the function.
“Both physical and psycho-social
environment are important for efficient work. The WHO Bangladesh new office
premises will foster increased staff productivity which will contribute to
strengthening the public health system in the country,” said Dr Samlee. “By bringing all staff
under one roof in the new office building, the Country Office is better
positioned to support the government in its efforts to harmonize and
coordinate health development work with partners and other stakeholders,”
he added.
More…
|
