Helvetas play crucial for strengthening rural economy in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD, Country head Helvetas Swiss Inter-cooperation Pakistan, Dr. Arjumand Nizami on Wednesday said the role of Helvetas is crucial in strengthening the rural economy in Pakistan for providing employment and health facilities to the common man.
In a rural economy, women’s economic empowerment, employment and provision of basic living facilities have always been our top priority of Helvetas Swiss Inter-cooperation Pakistan, Country head Helvetas Swiss Inter-cooperation Pakistan, Dr. Arjumand Nizami said this while addressing to the handing over ceremony of the equipment for technologically up-gradation of the Provincial Health Development Centre (PHDC) facility in Lahore and its sub-centres in Lahore, Sheikhupura, Gujranwala and Sargodha.
She said that economic empowerment of women and provision of food to children is an integral part of rural and urban economy and our organization is committed to provide basic facilities of the life to the people, said a press release issued here.
Dr. Arjumand Nizami said that Helvetas is committed to a just world in which all men and women determine the course of their lives in dignity and security, using environmental resources in a sustainable manner.
Helvetas is active in five working areas: water, food and climate, education, jobs and private sector development, governance, gender and social equity, she informed.
Helvetas Swiss Intercooperation organized a ceremony at the Provincial Health Development Centre (PHDC) to officially hand over the equipment that will technologically upgrade the PHDC facility in Lahore and its sub-centres, District Health Development Centres (DHDCs), in Lahore, Sheikhupura, Gujranwala and Sargodha.
It is pertinent to mention that the set of equipment provided includes computers, LED screens, printers, Zoom cameras, multimedia and sound systems with conference mics; the PHDC and DHDCs are focal training institutes of the Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department in Punjab.
The technological up-gradation of PHDC and DHDCs in Cap-COVID target districts will enable Cap-COVID to achieve its aim of reinforcing the Punjab provincial government’s ongoing efforts of building capacity of its healthcare personnel in tackling the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
The ceremony was also attended by Director PHDC Dr. Aamer Mufti, Additional Director PHDC Director Dr. Sarah Umair, Program Director Lahore Dr. Sarwar Sadiq, Program Director DHDC Sargodha Dr. Riaz Ahmed, Program Director Sheikhupura Dr. Adil Shahzad and Program Director Gujranwala Dr. Lubna Shaheen along with the Helvetas team.
The provision is part of Helvetas’s project ‘Improving National Capacity to Respond to COVID-19 Pandemic in Pakistan (Cap-COVID), which the organization is implementing in Punjab and KP.
The project will equip provincial health departments and health facilities in Sheikhupura, Gujranwala, Sargodha, Mardan and Peshawar with medical equipment, PPEs, and sanitation facilities to reinforce their response efforts to the COVID-19 pandemic.
It will also raise awareness on COVID-19 through awareness-raising material and capacity building trainings of health care professionals in collaboration with the provincial health departments and their relevant capacity- building units (the PHDC in Punjab).