HOPE’s Medical Camp At Allah Baksh Brohi With The Support Of House Of Habib.

HOPE,  a vital provider of health and education to the rural, poor masses since 1997 – and a very important and prompt provider of relief during natural calamities such as floods, earthquakes, storms and even the aftermath of terrorist attacks has  responded immediately to the floods since 2010, providing food and safe drinking water to the most vulnerable groups, particularly women and children. Over the past five years, we’ve reached over 700,000 people.

On this particular occasion HOPE, an educational and health related NGO in Pakistan was supported by the House of Habib {Travel Waljis} in extending a very timely help to the flood affectees of Sindh. The area selected  was the flooded  delta region of river Indus, a place known as Allah Baksh Brohi .

The area was surveyed in advance and by some good fortune a fully erected building became available to HOPE/House of Habib which was a great help in setting up this much needed medical camp for the displaced flood affectees – who were advised in advance of the date and place of its setting up.

A very large number of men, women and children flocked to this medical camp and as many as 800 patients were treated and free medicines distributed. Six doctors participated in this medical camp and they had their hands completely full all through the day. So also the dispensary which remained just as busy in giving out the medicines.

Some of the old and aged ones, in dire need of medical help, also managed to make it to the camp.

As always particular attention was given by Dr Mubina Agboatwalla, child specialist in Karachi, in the selection  of the area in need of such an activity  and everything was closely monitored by Dr Mubina Agboatwalla, child specialist in Karachi   in the formation of the whole team inclusive of the doctors and also in ensuring that all necessary medicines needed for this medical camp to ensure that  nothing short of very good medical treatment was provided to the flood affectees.

HOPE Invited To Karachi Commissioner’s Meeting For Evaluation of The Heat Wave Casualties and Measures Being Taken To Manage Monsoon Hazards.

HOPE, an education related NGO in Pakistan, http://www.hope-ngo.com/Education/NorthernPakistanHomeSchools.aspx  attended the meeting along with several other organizations including the heads of  Civil Hospital Karachi, Jinnah Hospital, Abbasi  Shaheed Hospital and several other  Hospitals based in Karachi and different  cities of interior Sindh.

The discussion first revolved around how the temperatures were extremely high  from  the very first day of Ramadan and how its intensity persisted for the first ten days without any let up. And how the situation became worse with the complete loss of power in many parts of the city, compounded further by an acute shortage of water  in almost all areas of the city. All the hospitals’ representatives advised how they coped with this calamity-like situation, although they did admit that they were ill-prepared for the situation. 

They complained that they did not hear a word of appreciation for the thousands of lives they saved but were continuously blamed for the lives that were lost – especially by the print and visual media. 

The other organizations including  HOPE, an education and Health related NGO in Pakistan, http://www.hope-ngo.com/Health/MaternalChildCenter.aspx advised the participants how they capably managed the situation as best as possible in providing relief to the people in areas most severely affected by the intense heat wave in  providing cool drinking water, first aid and primary care and basic medicines  wherever needed, transportation of  the severely affected patients to the hospitals etc.

 Then the topic moved to the impending and somewhat dreaded season of  the rains, the monsoons. Karachi, a city of over 20,000,000 with very tightly-knit housing communities mostly lacking basic amenities like drainage, sewage systems, a proper system of garbage collections is completely inundated when the rains arrive. The drains already clogged with garbage overflow with water and there is stagnant filthy water even days after the rains – which in turn triggers many diseases thus unleashing a new cycle of  health related problems – which gets controlled only when the standing dirty waters dry up by the sun’s heat which should have in the first place been drained out. This time, though, the commissioner was determined that such a situation would not be permitted to arise and gave directions for the city’s cleanup with immediate affect and also  for all personnel including the NGOs to be on standby and step in immediately if a situation required any assistance from any quarter.

As always particular attention was given by Dr Mubina Agboatwalla, child specialist in Karachi, http://www.drmubinaagboatwalla.com/child-specialist-karachi/   who set up teams and instructed them to be ready and fully prepared and come into immediate action as and when needed.