Social responsibility: A power-full favour for the leprosy centre

KARACHI:

Under its social welfare programme, the Karachi Electric Supply Company would foot the monthly power bill of the Marie Adelaide Leprosy Centre.

With its headquarters in Karachi, the healthcare facility is one of the largest non-governmental organisations in the country, providing free medical aid to a large number of patients of leprosy, tuberculosis and different eye diseases.

The cure rate of leprosy patients is 97 per cent at the centre, which has treated over 800 leprosy patients; operated 4,575 eye patients; and has registered over 10,000 tuberculosis patients by the end of last year.

The memorandum of understanding was signed by the power utility’s CEO, Tabish Gauhar, and Dr Ruth Pfau, the founder member and vice president of the leprosy centre.

“The MALC is extremely thankful to the KESC and highly appreciates its contribution toward the un-served communities of the country. It would not have been possible for us to sustain the leprosy centre without the help of such benevolent organisations. The savings generated through subsidised electricity would help us in serving the patients better and providing them better medicines to live in a society where they are usually treated as outcasts,” Dr Pfau stated in her message.

Aimed at providing relief to social welfare organisations in the health and education sectors, the KESC had earlier signed a similar memorandum with the Indus Hospital, under which the power utility would bear 50 per cent of the hospital’s monthly electricity bills.

The KESC would be extending similar relief to various healthcare and educational institutions serving the poor on purely humanitarian grounds.

The power company would foot the electricity bills of these welfare entities in part or in full.

Eligibility criteria

In order to get the KESC’s favour, the institution must be providing at least 70 per cent of its services free of charge or at minimal charges. The entity must be a non-profit institution, totally non-political and non-government institution, and not associated or linked to any business houses. The organisation must annually impact a minimum of 5,000 individuals belonging to underprivileged segments of the society.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 1^st, 2012.