Free medical treatment of over 5,000 patients in 13 hospitals across Rawalpindi district has been suspended for the last three months because of the non-release of Zakat funds provided by the Punjab government.
The stoppage of medical aid to deserving people includes eye surgery, kidney dialysis and treatment of heart diseases. The distribution of medicines to patients at the Leprosy Hospital has also been stopped.
The Zakat Department distributed financial help, dowry funds, children’s scholarships, and special funds for blind to over 10,000 deserving families in Punjab, including Rawalpindi, during the last days of Ramadan. The payment of health zakat fund to Allied Hospitals of Rawalpindi city, the seven tehsil headquarters hospitals, has stopped.
Zakat social workers in all 13 hospitals confirmed that funds of the hospitals running on Zakat money have run out.
Despite written requests, no funds have been released for three months, which has affected kidney dialysis and eye operations.
Children’s education has also been affected as monthly scholarship stipends are not being provided.
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No progress has been made on the application submitted for dowry items by families living below the poverty line.
Sharjeel Mir, president of Anjuman-e-Behbood-e-Marizan Rawalpindi, told the Express Tribune that the provision of funds by the department is often suspended.
However, our organisation, with the help of many businessmen of Rawalpindi, continues to provide support to the deserving patients at the Holy Family Hospital.
He said that the prices of medicines were also increasing, which was increasing the difficulties for patients, so it was necessary to increase zakat funds to all small and big hospitals by 20 to 25 percent.
Haji Nawaz, Sherdil and relatives of the patients Shafiq Khan and Niaz Ahmed, who are undergoing treatment at the District Headquarters Hospital, said that they have not been receiving Zakat funds for three months and treatment is severely affected.
The Zakat Department officials when contacted said that fresh funds will be distributed to hospitals as soon as they were received.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 29th, 2021.
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