Removing Perceptions With Facts
In the company of Robert Bellhouse, Executive Director, Disaster Resource Network (DRN), an initiative of the World Economic Forum (WEF), I returned to the high mountains of my PMA Gentlemen Cadet (GC) days (1964-1965), and (later) Army Aviation (1968-1971) on a heli-tour of the affected areas. Thirty five years earlier as an Alouette-3 pilot of 4 Army Aviation Squadron in Dhamial (now Qasim Army Aviation Base) I would be on the roster (the happy fate of being one of three bachelors out of Squadron of 30 pilots) as “Pilot on Duty” to evacuate casualties from Azad Kashmir (AK). Approaching Mansehra in North West Frontier Province (NWFP) I became somewhat disoriented, the thickly wooded area beyond the Siran River from “Khaki” village to Oghi over the “black” mountains was no more. A proliferation of huts and houses dotting the landscape indicated significant increase in population, the tents alongside signifying enough damage to the structure in forcing the inhabitants to sleep outside.
Compassion And Callousness
If anyone in Pakistan thinks that we have seen the worst of the great disaster that has engulfed northern Pakistan, they ain’t seen nothing yet! As the cold of the winter sets in, the race against time is to provide minimum shelter, warm clothing and adequate nourishment, particularly for children. Seventy-five heavy lift choppers are already operating, another 75 are on the way. Adding about 30-40 light-helicopters the total should top 175 in the air in the affected areas. Field hospitals are now more in number and better equipped to forward the injured to well appointed recovery and recuperation centers, not to exclude sophisticated trauma units. For the many amputees the cold is devastating, without proper medical care and supervision it could be fatal, more field hospitals are required.