Step-by-step: At large government hospitals, small things taken care of

Student volunteers take up the task to look after small needs at state-run hospitals.

KARACHI:

A group of students and volunteers have joined hands to look after the small needs at large public sector hospitals like National Institute of Child Health (NICH), Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre and the Civil Hospital Karachi.

With this aim, youngsters representing Kumak Pakistan, Patients Helping Hands (PHH) and Roshni Trust, celebrated the Independence Day by distributing Eid gifts among patients at the child health institute and Civil hospital.

The volunteers arrived at the NICH early morning and distributed goody bags among 200 children admitted to the hospital.

They also spent time with the children, singing national songs, playing games and doing face painting. Then they went to the Civil hospital and distributed another 500 goody bags among the patients.

“This was just a warm-up,” said Islam Ahmed, a third-year student, a member of the PHH executive council.

The three non-governmental organisations have raised Rs100,000, only a part of which went to the goody bags. The rest of the funds will be used for small-time repairs and needs at the three hospitals. The volunteers plan to collect more funds in the coming months and use the amount for the NICH’s emergency ward.  “The donations can be meagre but if put to use wisely can make a great difference,” said Ahsan Raza Firdousi, the founding member of Kumak. The three NGOs will partner until September to collect donations and then start work at the emergency ward on September 6. Kumak and PHH have both been active in their support for these hospitals. Their volunteers are always on the rounds at these hospitals to know about their needs. “For instance, we got fixed a ventilator at the NICH,” said Ahmed.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 15^th, 2012.