ICRC launches campaign on right of way for ambulances

ICRC launches campaign on right of way for ambulances

Islamabad :A nationwide public awareness campaign titled ‘Pehlay Zindagi: Give Way to Ambulances— Give Way to Life’ was launched here Friday to inform people how imperative it is for them to respect and give way to ambulances. Citizens were invited to pledge their commitment to this crucial public cause, for which the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has developed a series of awareness activities for motorists, a dedicated website, and a pledge application.

The initiative is part of the wider ICRC global Health Care in Danger project addressing the issue of violence against health personnel and services. The campaign is supported by over 30 partner organizations from across the country and will carry on until December 2017.

Speaking on the occasion, the minister for health Saira Afzal said, “It is so painful every time we hear about someone losing their battle for survival for not being able to arrive at the hospital in time. Ambulances are not merely vehicles; they are symptomatic of a struggling life for which every minute is important.” She lauded the private and public organizations that have joined forces with ICRC to take the cause forward.

As part of Pehlay Zindagi, a public pledge campaign will use television, radio and the social media to urge citizenry to respect and give way to ambulances. Whoever takes the pledge and spreads the message becomes a member of ‘Friends for Life,’ which is a virtual platform aiming to introduce contemporary Pakistan to its social obligations.

Recognising the role of the media in spreading awareness, ICRC and its partner organizations called upon this sector to get involved in highlighting the importance of this life-saving mode of transport. The campaign also seeks to sensitize people to issues faced by ambulance staff so as to bring about behavioural change among the public and policy-makers.

‘PehlayZindagi’ is the second edition of the ambulance campaign. In 2016, the ‘Rasta Dein’ campaign received an overwhelmingly positive response from the media and the public. The campaign’s impact, measured through an observational study, stood at a promising 16%. This year too, the impact of the campaign on motorists’ behaviour towards ambulances will systematically be assessed before and after the campaign through observational studies. The ICRC and its partners recognize that they will need to sustain their efforts over several years to make a lasting impact.

The following partners will work alongside ICRC to promote the campaign: Al-Hamra Arts Council, Aman Foundation, APPNA Institute of Public Health, Canteen Stores Department, Capital Development Authority, City Administration of Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Peshawar, Karachi and Lahore, Edhi Foundation, federal and provincial ministries of health, I Am Karachi, Isra University, Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, Khyber Medical University, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa/ Punjab/Islamabad Traffic Police, Lady Reading Hospital, Pakistan Red Crescent, Pakistan State Oil, Rescue 1122 Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Institute of Science and Technology, The Indus Hospital and University of Health Sciences, Lahore.

Article source: https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/235140-ICRC-launches-campaign-on-right-of-way-for-ambulances