In hospitals across the country, something as basic as a wheelchair can make the difference between waiting in pain...
chatter matter
In hospitals across the country, something as basic as a wheelchair can make the difference between waiting in pain and being treated with dignity. In busy, under-resourced public facilities, patients are often left struggling to move between wards or emergency units, sometimes wheeled around on makeshift stretchers or carried by relatives. It’s a crisis that directly affects thousands every day.
In Quetta, a landmark effort to enhance patient care and restore dignity to those in need, Dawood Global Foundation (DGF) stepped in. A total of 154 wheelchairs were distributed across three of the city’s busiest government-run healthcare institutions: Sandeman Provincial Hospital, Bolan Medical Complex, and the Trauma Centre & Emergency Department. The move comes in direct response to requests from hospital leadership, citing an urgent need for mobility support for patients navigating surgeries, emergencies, and long hospital stays.
Of the 154 wheelchairs, 150 were sponsored by a local bank and four by individual donors, marking a rare instance of coordinated public-private support in a region where healthcare infrastructure is often stretched thin. Representatives from the organisation behind the initiative travelled from Karachi to personally oversee the distribution and visit patients.
“The quality of medical care in Quetta is very impressive and we are honoured to be able to play a small part in distributing and donating wheelchairs to three eminent hospitals, as per their urgent requests,” said Tara Uzra Dawood, CEO of Dawood Global Foundation. “We also visited with patients in the Trauma Centre during our tour and it was heart-wrenching to see the need.”
The impact has been immediate. At Sandeman, which receives over 500 patients daily, and Bolan Medical Complex, where outpatient numbers regularly cross 500, the wheelchairs have helped ease pressure on already overwhelmed staff. Emergency units now have round-the-clock access to functional wheelchairs, offering comfort, speed, and dignity to patients in critical condition.
“This generous contribution has touched our hearts and transformed our wards,” said Dr Hadi Kakar, Medical Superintendent at Sandeman. Dr Sultan Ahmed Lehri of Bolan Medical College Complex echoed the sentiment, calling the donation “a meaningful impact on our community.”
- You! desk
