Every child deserves to have a healthy start in life, and every mother should have access to quality healthcare during pregnancy and childbirth. The birth of a new child should be a time for celebration, and yet for many women around the world it is a time of fear.
At HOPE - A Health NGO in Pakistan we believe maternal health is particularly important because of the impacts it has on the future generations and communities. Not only does access to good quality maternal healthcare ensure the good health of a mother, but her good health also helps to ensure the good health of her newborn child and the rest of her family.
HOPE - An NGO in Pakistan is running an MCH which is located at Korangi , an urban slum in Karachi . This particular MCH is located in Korangi, having a population of 60,000, where minimal to almost no medical facilities.
The MCH Center at Korangi is mainly visited by mothers and their children, services like Ultra sound, antenatal checkup are provided. The purpose of the MCH is to provide the much needed maternal and child health services. To provide ante natal and obstetric care to expectant mothers so that any abnormality in the progress of pregnancy can be identified early, appropriate interventions can be done, growth of fetus can be monitored. The most important thing is saving mothers and newborn lives. Many expectant mothers come to the clinic who literally not received any obstetric care during pregnancy. They depend on traditional birth attendants for home deliveries. Many of these women are referred to hospitals for proper medical intervention.
The MCH Centre also provides medical care to children. Children with gastroenteritis, respiratory infections , typhoid etc are diagnosed and treated. Medicine is provided free of cost. Dehydrated children are provided intravenous fluids. Malnourished children are given nutritional advice.
An immunization program is also conducted on weekly basis, in which a team of Government officials visit the MCH every Saturday and provide vaccination and immunization shots to Women and children free of cost. The staff at HOPE MCH consists of a Female Doctor, a dispenser, 2 nurses, a helper and a maid who are available to all times to serve the patients.
This MCH has become quite successful even though it has been just 6 months for its existence. The main reason for which is the population ratio who do not have access to medical facilities at a reasonable price in this area. Hence HOPE is the first to establish an MCH Center which was highly needed by the people of this area. On an average 2000 patients are seen monthly. In 6 months nearly 12000 patients have treated free of cost.
Dr. Mubina Agboatwalla A Child Specialist in Karachi, who is also the founder and Chairperson of HOPE; from the very beginning has been striving hard and collaborating with local as well as International organizations through which they can support us in our cause in providing health care facilities and services to the need communities throughout Pakistan, by establishing Hospitals, Mobile Health Units, Mother & Child Healthcare and other Clinics, where patients are treated at a minimal or free of cost.
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