ISLAMABAD: Minister for Communications Abdul Aleem Khan has decided to introduce a helicopter service for any emergency and accidents on the motorways and national highways across the country.

According to the ministry, the minister wrote letters to the prime minister of Azad Jammu and Kashmir and the chief ministers of all provinces, including Gilgit-Baltistan, inviting their assistance in setting up rescue centres on motorways and highways in their respective jurisdiction on the lines of Rescue 1122.

The minister also directed the federal secretary for communications and the chairman National Highway Authority (NHA) at a meeting to establish such emergency rescue centres in collaboration with the provincial governments at 174 locations on national highways where ambulances and helicopter service could be provided to the victims of accidents.

He said in case of accidents the injured ones should be shifted to the nearest hospitals as soon as possible for which a Rescue 1122 centre has been established on Lahore-Islamabad Motorway (M2). The facility will be extended to other motorways and GT roads as well.

Presiding over the meeting, the minister said emergency centres should also be established at interchanges.

He emphasised the need for cooperation of Rescue 1122 with the helicopter service being introduced by the NHA.

The emergency centres of the same design should be established at specific distances on the road network.

The secretary communications informed the meeting about his conversations with chief secretaries of all provinces and the progress made so far.

The NHA chairman briefed the participants about preparations on the setting up of the emergency service centres in collaboration with Rescue 1122.

It was decided that in addition to the four provinces, emergency rescue centres would also be set up on the highways of the NHA in AJK and Gilgit-Baltistan.