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Fourth AKU team of AKU doctors left on October 25 for the northern areas to provide basic medical care as well as specialized treatment to earthquake affected inhabitants living in and around Shaheed Gali, an area which is a six-hour drive from Islamabad. The
18- member team comprises of physicians, technicians and nurses is equipped with required medical and surgical supplies.
The team left in spite of the extreme weather conditions at the intended location, which is being pelted with persistent rains. The team's base-camp would be at Gari Habibullah, where they will split up into smaller teams and visit the scattered villages around Shaheed Gali in order to provide medical care to the disaster afflicted inhabitants of the surrounding hills. Since the earthquake, very few relief teams have been able to reach this particular area as it is 7500 ft high. Although field hospitals are operating in bigger towns but this initiative of AKU aims at providing quality care to the hill dwellers at their doorsteps. It is expected that the team would be treating approximately 600 patients per day scattered over an area of 17- 20 km. The team is working in collaboration with Sinnah Healthcare, which is providing on-ground logistical support
Already three AKU teams, comprising of doctors and nurses, are helping in the relief efforts and are stationed at Islamabad, Muzaffarabad and further in the disaster areas. In addition to these teams, AKU employees, students and medical residents have raised over Rs. 4.8 million and have donated medicines, warm clothes and blankets. AKU has also donated Rs 5 million towards medicines and organizing the relief effort. These efforts are a part of the overall Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) relief assistance through its various affiliates and agencies, which includes financial assistance as well as humanitarian help.
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