Dubai: Dubai’s Pakistan Association has inked a deal with a charity hospital back home, as work continues on a non-profit medical centre aimed at helping some 1.4 million Pakistanis in the UAE.
Under the terms of the memorandum of understanding between the two bodies, the Pakistan Association Dubai (PAD) will help promote the objectives of the Indus Hospital.
In turn, Indus Hospital will help establish an electronic medical records system at the Pakistan Medical Centre, and will assist in administration and set-up.
The deal also stipulates that both parties will help put in place mechanism of importing low-cost medicine from Pakistan to the UAE.
The signing was attended by many different members of the Pakistani community, as well as foreign doctors from various local hospitals.
The upcoming Pakistan Medical Centre is a not-for-profit multi-specialty centre that will be completed in 18 months and will be open to all nationalities, according to the association.
This project has the support of the Dubai Health Authority and Community Development Authority, and has solicited donations from private donors in the UAE.
The agreement was signed by Dr Ziaul Hassan, president of PAD and Dr Nighat Aftab, president of Pakistan Medical Wing and Dr Abdul Bari Khan, chief executive of Indus Hospital,
Dr Faisal Ikram, general secretary of PAD, thanked the Indus Hospital team for being a part of the Pakistan Medical Centre project.
“As a Pakistani working abroad, we have strong feelings of doing something for the country,” said Dr Ikram. “We are really impressed and moved by the high level of commitment from the doctors and staff of Indus Hospital.”
Located in Karachi, Pakistan’s largest city, Indus Hospital started in 2007 with 150 beds. Organisers claimed that it is the first paperless and cashless hospital in the country.
The hospital treats over 145,000 patients per month. Every month, 9,200 patients get admitted in the hospital and all treatment is free. The hospital racks up bills of Dh11.8 million every month.
“We are proud to be part of the nation who knows what pain is and always comes forward to help the needy” said Khan. “We are thankful to Pakistan Association Dubai for having Indus Hospital as a partner of their future community project of the Pakistan Medical Centre.”
