Rs20m approved for health, education depts under Zakat fund

Hospitals’ management protest over 50 per cent reduction in funds

RAWALPINDI:

The District Zakat Committee Rawalpindi on Friday approved over Rs10.71 million for 14 hospitals and over Rs162 million for the education department to bear the cost of deserving patients and students in the respective sector.

The meeting was presided over by District Chairman Zakat Committee Ghulam Hassan Khan and attended by seven committee members.

Under the Zakat funds, free treatment, heart surgeries, dialysis and medicines will be provided to patients in 14 hospitals of the Rawalpindi district.

Of the funds, Rs1.5 million have been approved for the District Headquarters Hospital Rawalpindi, Rs.250,000 per annum for the Tehsil Headquarters Hospital Kotli Sattian, Rs137,200 for THQ Taxila, Rs376,200 for THQ Gujar Khan, Rs280,490 for THQ Murree, Rs250,200 for THQ Kalar Syedan, Rs2 million for the Institute of Cardiology Rawalpindi, Rs175,000 for blood transfusion of children with thalassemia, Rs130,000 for the Holy Family Hospital, Rs1.5 million for the Benazir Bhutto General Hospital, Rs425,000 for the Cantonment General Hospital, and Rs425,000 for the Fauji Foundation Hospital.

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Under the Zakat funds, over Rs5 million have been approved for technical educational centres. Of the funds, Rs2.964 million have been released for the Klar Syedan Technical Institute, Rs1.98 million for the Murree Technical Education, Rs264,000 for the Dawlat Allah Technical Education, Rs159,6000 for the Taxila Technical Education System, Rs212,4000 for the Adiala Technical Education.

Addressing the meeting, District Chairman Zakat Committee Ghulam Hassan Khan said: “I am upset and saddened by the 50 per cent reduction in Zakat funds. This reduction will affect a total of 10,000 families in the Rawalpindi district."

The meeting was also attended by members Kulsoom Chaudhry, Raja Zafar Iqbal, Amjad Mahmood, Pervez Ahmad, Umar Jalil, District Zakat Officer Jamshed.

The meeting was told the cheques of the funds will be issued to hospitals and technical education centres next week.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 23^rd, 2021.