Reaching out: Fundraiser launched for first burns hospital in the province

Government and others promise to help NGO Hilal Welfare Services in its endeavour.

PESHAWAR: An NGO has decided to launch a fundraising campaign to set up the first burns hospital in the province, to be located in Peshawar. The aim is to have one institute to treat all degrees of burn injuries.

This was announced at Peshawar Press Club during a news conference chaired by Dr Kamran Khan of Hilal Welfare Services on Monday. Khyber-Paktunkhwa’s (K-P) Deputy Assembly Speaker Imtiaz Shahid was present as the chief guest on the occasion.



According to Dr Khan, their aim was to establish a burns and general hospital in Peshawar. He asked philanthropists to extend financial support to help them with the project, urging the government to support them in this initiative.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) MPA Zareen Zia was also present at the press club and said the NGO was doing something important for the health sector. She stressed Peshawar needed a burns hospital as many of the burn injuries were reported from the provincial capital. She assured the NGO that the government would provide financial and technical assistance as and when needed to complete the project.

The deputy assembly speaker said the PTI-led coalition government was taking innovative steps in the health and education sectors. He added improving health services and promoting quality education in the province was the government’s priority.

“K-P is being confronted with acts of militancy,” he said. “It is the need of the hour to establish a burns hospital in the province.” He reiterated the government would help the NGO with whatever they needed to set up the hospital.



Others present at the event include University Public School Principal Gul Hameed and the press club’s president Nasir Hussain. They said they would support the NGO in setting up the burns hospital in the province. Hameed also donated Rs5,000 and promised to pay the same amount from his salary every month.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 11^th, 2014.