Urgent surgeries on hold as Zakat funds not released

Summary for release of funds to provinces pending with PM House since July

ISLAMABAD: A summary moved by the Federal Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony to the Prime Minister House for the release of Zakat Funds to the provinces has been pending since July.

Due to the delay in the release of Zakat Funds to the provincial government, thousands of deserving patients and their relatives across the country are forced to beg on the roads for medicines and surgery-related items.

Earlier, the patients used to get medicines and surgery essentials free of cost from Zakat Welfare Departments at public hospitals. To save money and buy medicines for their loved-ones admitted to the hospitals, these people are now forced to starve and spend nights under open skies.

However, to facilitate some of the deserving patients, some senior doctors and hospital staff are running fundraising campaigns.

An appeal to the PM has been lodged alongside so that an action can be taken and the summary can be signed.

“Zakat funds were supposed to be distributed in September this year, but till date, none of the government hospitals across Pakistan has received them,” said a senior official at the Zakat Welfare Department, Holy Family Hospital (HFH), while talking to The Express Tribune.

“We have a long list of patients who require life-saving drugs on a daily basis, but they are unable to afford them. Therefore, most of their relatives are forced to beg for money in front of hospitals, to keep their patients alive,” said the official.

He said these people had come from far-flung areas and could not even afford to have two meals a day.

“Some of the urgent surgeries are also pending due to unavailability of Zakat Funds as attendants are unable to buy the things needed for surgeries,” said by the official.

One such case is of a 22-year-old girl from a village near Fateh Jang who has been in HFH for 22 days. Supported by doctors and the hospital, the girl recently underwent a surgery.

“I am really thankful to the doctors who considered our financial position and did not charge a single penny for the surgery,” said Ayaz Khan, the girl’s maternal uncle, appreciating the hospital's efforts.

“She has to undergo another surgery in a week or two. But due to lack of funds at the hospital, we have to make arrangements for medicines and other essentials ourselves,” said Khan, adding that her niece needed three injections daily, each costing Rs8500.

“These injections are a lifeline for her, but it is impossible for us to afford them,” he said, adding that they could not even afford to have food or spend days far away from their homes.

“The federal government has not yet released the amount to be distributed among provinces,” said Asar Jamal, an account officer at the Zakat and Usher Department Punjab.

Senior officials of the Ministry of Religious Affairs told The Express Tribune that a summary moved to the PM House in the first week of July for the release of Rs80 billion is still pending for approval.