Top NGOs for Free Heart Surgery of Poor Patients in Pakistan

The Pakistani economy cannot be classified as a developed one. It is a struggling state and has been in this condition since its inception in 1947. Although things have improved relatively, it cannot yet be said that the country has been relieved of all its burdens and the problems have been completely alleviated. This can be attributed to many diseases that have plagued the state since its birth, including high levels of corruption and lack of interest in infrastructural development. Because of these reasons, several sectors have suffered greatly and have failed to achieve modern standards. One of these departments is that of healthcare facilities, which sadly stands at a stage so poor that the World Health Organization ranked it 122 out of 180 on its performance report. Despite this, the government further reduced the budget allocated to the furthering of the healthcare industry’s interests, exhibiting the state’s uninterested in the matter. List of Top Organizations for Free Cardiac Surgery of Poor Patients.

However, all of this does not mean that all Pakistanis are unable to access modern, life-saving medication and equipment. It is one of the saddest truths of this country that despite having some of the best doctors and resources, the majority of the nation stands deprived and unattended during their ailment times. Treatment opportunities are available to the financially elite and are refused to the poverty-stricken masses. Consequently, several other issues arise. It was estimated recently that around 30- 40 % of all deaths that occur in Pakistan annually occur due to some form of cardiovascular diseases. It is said that each hour, around 46 people die at the hands of heart attacks, and this number keeps on climbing higher. While these statistics may be attributed to unhealthy lifestyles adopted by many people and severe malnutrition, it can also not be ignored that the inability of the health sector to aid the poor is also one of the most important factors. If timely and free treatment be provided to the economically disadvantaged people, these statistics could drop significantly.

The things that have been mentioned above highlight a very alarming situation. It is something that must be dealt immediately and efficiently. Indeed, a country can never prosper if the people who bear its weight on their shoulders are ill. A population that is not healthy and ails at the hands of diseases that deprive it of its energy, is a population that fails to rise above problems that afflict it. But the governmental inadequacy has been very evident in this matter. Therefore, a few individuals and non-governmental organizations came together and formed facilities that could care for those suffering from cardiovascular diseases and provide them with cardiac surgeries. These organizations have focused their energies and efforts towards poor patients who do not have the means to finance their treatments. By providing them with treatment, that too at zero cost, these groups have helped hundreds of people throughout the country. Their work is notable , noble and deserves appreciation.

Currently, many such organizations are actively supporting individuals with cardiac problems. The list below identifies the top few of them.

List of Top Organizations for Free Cardiac Surgery of Poor Patients

1. Transparent Hands

2. Memon Medical Institute Hospital

3. The Indus Hospital

4. National Institute of Cardiovascular diseases (NICD)

5. PCHF (Pakistan Children’s Heart Foundation)

6. Kulsum Healthcare Foundation

Transparent Hands

Free Healthcare Services for Those Who Cannot Afford

“Transparent Hands” is the largest technology platform for crowdfunding in the healthcare sector of Pakistan. It offers a complete range of free healthcare services including medical and surgical treatments, medical camps and telehealth facility, to the underprivileged community of Pakistan.

The platform provides visibility of needy patients and builds a personal and trusted bond between patients and donors while ensuring complete transparency. It also sets up free medical camps in the rural areas of Pakistan in which, free medical consultation, free medicines and free diagnostic tests facility is provided to the deserving patients.

Committed to Provide Free Healthcare Services to People in Need

Donors from all over the world can use our online Crowdfunding web portal and donate through 100% secure payment modes. They could select any patient, fund the treatment and receive regular feedback and updates until the patient is recovered completely.

Memon Medical Institute Hospital

What they do

MMIH is a 332 bed tertiary care hospital project with state-of-the-art infrastructure that is designed according to the international standards. It is a not for profit set up and is 100% donor funded project that aims to serve people regardless of their caste, creed, color, religion or ability to pay. It has a Patients’ Welfare Program to support the needy people.

The hospital has a covered area of 320, 000 sq. ft. It is centrally air conditioned and designed to meet International Standards. Nursing School, Medical College and Research Institute are planned on 11.5 acres.

Vision

To be a role model for caring, curing, education, training, research and employment

Mission

To provide accessible and affordable quality health care and education to all with empathy, dignity and respect, IRRESPECTIVE OF THEIR CASTE, CREED, COLOR, RELIGION OR ABILITY TO PAY.

Aim

To lead Pakistan towards international quality of healthcare standards while at the same time, providing quality education to medical and nursing personnel.

Specialties:

• Obstetrics and Gynecology
• General Surgery
• Physiotherapy & Rehabilitation Services
• Nephrology
• ENT (Ear, Nose & Throat)
• Dentistry
• Family Medicine
• Cardiology
• Pulmonology
• Nutrition and Diet Control
• Gastroenterology
• Neurosurgery
• Oncology
• Pediatrics
• Gen Medicine
• Urology
• Thoracic Surgery
• EYE / OPTHALOMOLOGY

The Indus Hospital

Spread over 20 acres of land and located in the densely populated Korangi area, The Indus Hospital is 300-bed tertiary care multidisciplinary hospital providing premium healthcare in an impressive, state-of-the-art facility completely free to everyone.

It is has the privilege to be Pakistan’s first paperless hospital and has now become a symbol of hope for the most vulnerable members of the society.

How They Started

The founder of The Indus Hospital, Dr Abdul Bari Khan, and their co-founders served in the public sector hospitals for many years. During their time at government run hospitals, they witnessed the plight of the poverty stricken patients of Karachi. It was at this time that they envisioned to make a multi-disciplinary tertiary care hospital that served the under-served population of Karachi with free and quality treatment.

After a few years, in the year 2005, the Islamic Mission Trust donated a non-functioning hospital building to their founders. This building was renovated and made operational in the year 2007. The Indus Hospital was set up as a tertiary care and multi-disciplinary hospital with 150 beds in the area of Korangi. It serves as an absolutely free of charge hospital with no cash counter.

The Indus Hospital has now evolved into a Health Network with hospitals and public health outreach clinics spread all across Pakistan serving the under-served population of Pakistan with free of charge, indiscriminate and quality treatment.

Vision

Excellence in Healthcare for all to Please Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala.

Mission

• To focus on creating an excellence-driven, comprehensive, compassionate, free of charge and replicable healthcare system accessible to all.
• To be a not-for-profit entity, managed with the Islamic concept of Waqf and funded through donations and Zakat.
• To adhere to ethical best practices in all aspects of its operations, while following the Shariah and the Law of the Land.
• To empower its employees for their spiritual and professional growth
• To enhance and build human capacities through quality education and research.

National Institute of Cardiovascular diseases (NICD)

What they do:

Since its inception in 1963, the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases (NICVD) has played a pivotal role in caring for patients with heart disease in Pakistan. NICVD is the first tertiary cardiac care institute in South Asia as well as the flagship facility for cardiology in Pakistan with a focus on superior care for patients, education and training for medical professionals, and research and development in cardiology.

NICVD caters to the cardiovascular needs of a vast majority of patients from all provinces of Pakistan as well as Afghan refugees and patients from other neighboring countries. It is responsible for training the bulk of local cardiac physicians, nurses and paramedics throughout the country.

History:

Emerging from the small Central Heart Clinic in Ward 10 of Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC) in 1956, National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases has been the primary heart-care provider for Pakistanis for over 50 years.

With support from the Government of Pakistan, USAID and the Japanese Government, NICVD became a fully functional tertiary cardiac-care centre on 14th August, 1971. For the following eight years, NICVD remained a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) but in 1979 it was nationalized by the Government of Pakistan and became an Autonomous Body under the Federal Ministry of Health.

The present Governing Body of NICVD comes under the Government of Sindh with the Honorable Chief Minister of Sindh as the Chairman of the Board of Governors. The Executive Director of NICVD maintains the role of Secretary of the Board of Governors and Chief Executive Officer of the Institute and Chairman of the Academic Faculty.

Mission:

They aspire to be one of the world’s leading heart care facilities by:-

• Adopting a patient-focused approach that is respectful and sensitive to patient needs and values
• Acting on the ‘time is muscle’ principle to ensure prompt diagnosis and treatment to save and reduce heart damage
• Providing convenient access to those with financial constraints to prevent and treat heart related diseases without delay
• Educating the finest medical professionals of tomorrow in the field of cardiology
• Promoting a research-oriented environment to keep abreast with latest updates in cardiology

Vision:

They strive to keep every heart close to theirs

They aim to be the premier hospital in Pakistan for the prevention, diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation of patients with cardiovascular diseases regardless of their socioeconomic status. Through their mission to deliver excellent patient care and commitment to training, research and development in cardiology, they strive to be the hospital of choice for both cardiovascular disease patients and medical professionals.

PCHF (Pakistan Children’s Heart Foundation)

Mission Statement

“To establish a state of the art medical facility that provides the highest quality of care for children with heart disease, irrespective of their financial means. To act as a model institute, for the training of healthcare professionals, education of the public at large and promote research into the causes and management of congenital heart disease.”

They have the best Peads Cardiologist and Surgeons as part of their Medical Advisory Boards who do the medical evaluation of the patients with CHD.

The number of children born with heart disease in Pakistan is high. Adequate numbers of trained doctors, quality facilities, infrastructure, and funding are all deficient. PCHF is working on building a Centre of Excellence to train more doctors for more heart surgeries. Centre of Excellence is not only about the surgeries of heart patient but it also includes capacity building and research elements of heart surgeries.

PCHF is spending on deserving children with CHD. Give your Zakat to Pakistan Children Heart Foundation and help those CHD-related patients.

“Zakah expenditures are only for the Poor and for the Needy and for those Employed to collect [zakah] and for bringing hearts together [for Islam] and for freeing Captives [or slaves] and for those in Debt and for the cause of Allah and for the [stranded] Traveler – an obligation [imposed] by Allah . And Allah is Knowing and Wise.” (Surah Tauba: 60)

7. Kulsum Healthcare Foundation

Pakistan is a developing country where healthcare infrastructure and system in unsatisfactory. The country stands at 130th place in terms of life expectancy. Hospital beds (per 1,000 people) is 0.60. Non-communicable diseases contribute 56.4 % of total deaths. Only 2.75% of total GDP is spent on healthcare whereas rest of the world spends 10.02%.

Kulsum Healthcare Foundation is dedicated to provide healthcare services to poor and unfortunate members of the society with a belief to relieve their sufferings.

Objectives:

• To provide healthcare services to poor and needy patients and support the unfortunate ones who are compelled to stay for long periods in the hospital due to complications.
• To provide medical assistance in areas affected by natural calamities through establishing multiple healthcare facilities.
• To establish the medical camps in the areas of under-served population

It is truly remarkable how far technology has advanced. The diseases that were once regarded as untreatable are now treated with utmost precision. Millions of people, every year, take advantage of these resources. However, we must understand that this advancement is not specifically for those who can afford it. Most of the world’s population, and specifically that of Pakistan (because it is a developing economy), lives under circumstances of poverty and financial despair. Given this, it is clear that they cannot even afford three meals a day; hence, expecting them to be able to support their treatments, which costs several thousand, is absurd. However, it does not mean in any way that they should be denied medical support. Basic health facilities are the right of every man, woman and child that lives on this planet. If, because of unfavourable conditions, they are stuck in conditions where they cannot help themselves, it falls upon us to help them, as they are also part of our community. Therefore, we must join hands and help the aforementioned organizations in whatever capacities we can and help achieve a healthier and prosperous Pakistan.