Al-Shifa News Letters

March 2010 Vol. 21, No. 47

1 Lions Clubs International extends support for National Academy of Paramedics

2 NAVTEC assistance boosts the paramedics training program

3 Project completed at Kohat with the help of Embassy of Japan

4 Light House also established at Kohat

5 Sukkur Hospital forges ahead: Institute of Ophthalmology near completion

6 Muzaffarabad hospital construction in final stages

7 Fund raiser at Islamabad – a great success

8 Al-Shifa to launch Diagnostic Center

9 Dr. Pararajasegaram visits Al-Shifa Trust

10 Participation in international Conference

11 Patients’ Column

12 Quarterly Progress Report

13 Upcoming events

14 Appeal

At a recently held ceremony, Lions Clubs international handed over a check of US $ 65,000 to extend its support for training of ophthalmic midlevel personnel. Lions Clubs International has already supported a similar 3 years project, where about 300 ophthalmic midlevel personnel completed their training successfully. This support was mainly for 4-years University-degree program in optometry. These programs conducted by Al-Shifa have created a great demand amongst the community for acquiring such skills and have become so popular that different health care organizations in need of midlevel personnel specifically advertise for Al-Shifa trained manpower.

Under Prime Minister’s Skill Development Program, National Vocational Training and Education Commission (NAVTEC) has provided a substantial grant of Rs. six million for training about 85 eye paramedics. These training programs already run by Al-Shifa, are quite costly and it is not always easy to support such programs alone by a charitable organization. This support from NAVTEC has greatly boosted our efforts to provide vital skill for eye care at national level.  This program will not only contribute towards our WHO Vision 2020 efforts, but it will also improve the employment opportunities for previously unskilled manpower. The continuity of such a support is also very vital for making all the four Al-Shifa Hospitals self-sufficient in respect of trained OMP.

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Government of Japan has always been supporting various projects of Al-Shifa Trust since early nineties. Recently, Al-Shifa Trust has completed a project at its Kohat Hospital with the help of Embassy of Japan (EOJ). Under this project, latest equipment was procured to treat blind children. This five million PKR project has made it easier for us to provide state of the art care to children who would have otherwise gone blind. Many children of the poor families have got their vision restored (A related story will appear at the end of this newsletter).

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Light House established at Kohat

Light House, an international concept for rehabilitation of people with incurable vision loss through provision of latest technology by enabling these people of all ages and professions to live an independent life at home, at work and in the community has been recently brought to Pakistan by Al-Shifa Trust. With the help of Universal Service Funds (USF), the first two centers have already been established at our Rawalpindi and Sukkur hospitals. Now this facility has been made available at Kohat also which is the only of its kind in NWFP. The personnel for this purpose have been trained at the base hospital Rawalpindi.

The Al-Shifa Light House is attracting large number of visually challenged people from all over the country. It has really become a ‘Beacon of Light’. (Please see related success stories at the end of this newsletter).

There are many true anecdotes to tell. But there are many more that need this type of treatment and their life can be made useful in a dignified manner. Alone, it cannot be done, together with your support, we can make it!

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Inaugurated by Chief Minister Sindh, the institute of Ophthalmology at Sukkur meant for post graduate training to doctors and paramedics, is now nearing completion. The training will soon be started in phases: First short courses for paramedics will be started followed by accredited long courses. Afterwards, post-graduate training of doctors will also start.

If we look at the recent output of Al-Shifa Trust Eye Hospital, Sukkur, (Please See at the end of this Newsletter) we will see that the Hospital has tremendously improved in its patient management. The number of patients operated is now almost at par with its sister hospital at Rawalpindi.  This reflects on the recognition by the community of the quality of services provided there.

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Muzaffarabad hospital construction in final stages

The fourth Al-Shifa Trust Eye Hospital at Muzaffarabad will start providing eye care services by middle of June this year. All preparations in this regards are now almost complete. Currently we are in the process of procurement of equipment. This state of the art eye hospital will have the capacity to manage about 600 -1,000 patients of all types of eye diseases and to undertake 60-80 operations daily. It will give employment to over 500 persons and will be hub of outreach eye care services to whole of AJK, Northern Areas and Mansehra / Hazara Division of NWFP. It will become a center of excellence for the region providing post-graduate training programs for doctors, eye care to almost 5 million people, facilities for applied research for prevention of blindness and serving as a base hospital for multiple vision centers in remote areas.

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Fund raiser at Islamabad – A great success

With fast escalating cost of the treatment, large increase in number and type of patients, Al-Shifa Trust has to make great efforts to meet its financial needs. The Board of Trustees has stepped up efforts to tap the domestic sources for fund raising. With this view, the fund-raisers have been planned at major cities of the country. The first in the series was Islamabad fund raiser which was very successfully held at Marriot Hotel Islamabad. It drew large presence from all walks of life and people enthusiastically participated in fund-raising. It yielded over Rs. 13 million PKR. Renowned artists Abrarul Haq and Hadiqa Kiani entertained the audience. 

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AST has now planned to set up a diagnostic center which will have all the modern biochemical and pathological laboratory testing facilities. It will be manned by an experienced pathologist. In addition, the center will also offer latest imaging facilities for diagnosis of eye diseases.  Such a center will be a unique facility in this particular area and is expected to draw large number of patients in need of quick and accurate diagnosis. The initial budget to be spent on it will be PKR 20 million.

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Dr. Para, evergreen and ever dependable friend of Al-Shifa was here recently to personally look at the progress of various hospitals. He specially appreciated the training programs run by our National Academy of Paramedics with support of Lions Clubs International and NAVTEC. He emphasized on the utility of short-term training programs and attracting more female trainees to effect gender balance which is an essential component for societal development.

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Participation in international Conference

Prof. Wajid Ali Khan and Associate Prof. Dr. Farah Akhtar presented their original research works at international meeting of Saudi Ophthalmological Society in Riyadh, KSA. The work on stem cell research at Al-Shifa was greatly appreciated by the audience.

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Patient Column

1: A six years child, Nauroze Khan, from Mazar Sharif Afghanistan was born with complicated cataract in both eyes. The parents got him treated over there, but the operation did not succeed and child lost one of his eyes. Later, the child was referred to Al-Shifa Trust Eye Hospital. The child was diagnosed to have multiple serious eye diseases like congenital complicated cataract and retinal detachment. A group of experts from our Rawalpindi hospital undertook a 2-hour long delicate operation and by Grace of Almighty, the child is on its way to recovery. This was made possible only after the required equipment was provided by EOJ. The parents of the child are extremely happy and they have told us to convey their “ARIGATOU” to people of Japan. Thank you very much indeed.

2. Afzal Masih, a radiographer working in polyclinic hospital Islamabad unfortunately lost his eyes in a horrible blast at a Sialkot Church on 25th Dec 2002. He was the sole earning member to support his family of three kids and elderly parents. His extremely impaired vision made him a handicap. No amount of surgery or medicine could restore his lost vision. Finally he came to Al-Shifa Light House after one of his friends told him that that Al-Shifa has a center that gives rehabilitation services to people like him and that something can be done to enable him to spend his life independently even with his disability. His psychological assessment revealed that he is in great depression and something needs to be done urgently.

Lighthouse rehabilitated by training him on software named JAWS-Job Access with Speech.  Now his life has changed remarkably. With this one month training, he is now running his own computer center in Gujranwala. Lighthouse is a source of hope to many such people and brought smiles to many who could never have thought of being useful to them and their family again.

3. One of the victims of Marriot Hotel blast was a 24 years front desk computer operator. The only earning member of his family lost his sight in that blast. “I thought of committing suicide” but fortunately he came to know the latest technology at our Light House. Here he was provided with counseling, guidance and psychological rehabilitation. He desired to utilize his computer skills in future life because Marriott administration offered him the opportunity if he is able to use the skills once again. So he was trained on MAGIC-Screen Enlargement software. After just one week of training at lighthouse, he is now again able to use and work on computer with the help of special magnifying software. After the completion of training, the patient has tremendously improved in his approach towards life.

Quarterly Progress Report

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APPEAL

Al-Shifa Needs Your Support
Al-Shifa is a Not-for-Profit and a non-political organization. It is committed to providing eye care and treatment mainly to the under privileged and poor. Almost 75% of all patients attending Al-Shifa Eye Hospital are treated free. The Trust is able to meet only 30-40% of its expenses from its own sources while the remaining expenses are met through Zakat, donations and support from philanthropists. 
 Your contribution means the gift of sight for someone in need!

Kindly note that your Zakat donations go separately to the accounts which are dedicated for treatment of Zakat patients only.
Kindly send your donations or Zakat to following Account Numbers: -

1. In UK a. Habib Bank AG Zurich 5/7 High Street Southall, Middlesex UB 1 3HA, UK

   Account Number = 7-2-7-20311-402-109356 (Pound Sterling Account)
   Account Number = 7-2-7-20311-333-109356 (US dollar Account)

   b. HSBC Bank AuchinLeck House, Birmingham: 

   Account Number = 40-1108 (sort code)-41311565 (Account number)

2. In USA
   1. National Bank of Pakistan (NBP), 100 Wall Street, 21st Floor New York, NY 10005:          

   Account Number = 52152578

   1. Al-Shifa Foundation of North America: 475 Wall Street, Princeton, NJ 08540.             

             Tel: (609) 279-1400, Email : [email protected] , website: www.afnausa.org

    

   In Pakistan, donations can be sent directly to Al-Shifa Trust Eye Hospital, Jhelum Road, Rawalpindi or to: -

   1. Askari Commercial Bank Limited, Adiala Road Branch Rawalpindi. Account No. 078-01-010-1715-3
   2. Habib Bank Ltd. Kashmir Road Branch Rawalpindi. Account No. 1236-00355425-01
   3. United Bank Ltd. Cantonment Branch Rawalpindi. Account No. 011-0228-4
   4. Allied Bank Ltd. Adam Jee Road Branch, Saddar Rawalpindi. Account No. 01-200-3589-7

   All donations in Pakistan are exempted from Income Tax vide Regional Commissioner Income Tax, Islamabad, letter number SO-III-26 (9)97-98/5422 dated 23rd May 1998, and Sec 61(X) of second schedule of Income Tax Ordinance 2001.

   All donations in Pakistan are exempted from Income Tax vide Regional Commissioner Income Tax, Islamabad, letter number SO-III-26 (9)97-98/5422 dated 23rd May 1998, and Sec 61(X) of second schedule of Income Tax Ordinance 2001.

For donors outside the country especially in UK and USA provision for online donations through Paypal are also now available

Al-Shifa Trust Eye Hospital, Jhelum Road, Rawalpindi, Pakistan
Tel: 0092 51 5487820-25, Fax: 0092 51 5487827
Email: [email protected]
Al-Shifa Trust Eye Hospital, Railway Road, Sukkur, Pakistan
Tel: 0092 71 5612766, 0092 71 5615466 Fax: 0092 71 5613453
Email: [email protected]
Al-Shifa Trust Eye Hospital, KDA, Kohat, Pakistan
Tel: 0092 922 515686, 0092 922 515710:  Fax: 0092 922 515668
Email: [email protected]

 

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