Businessman-run charity offers help for ailing children in KP

PESHAWAR: Following the principles of “Will, not Skill,” a businessman-supported charity has succeeded in raising the children survival rate from 15 to 90 in Karachi and is now waiting the wings to provide a helping hand to the Khyber Pakhtun-khwa government in sharing its burden in somewhat a confounding healthcare services system in the province.

During a visit to the hospitals where the charity has been providing emergency services to the children, a group of journalists from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa observed the practical expression of the government-private sectors’ working together to safeguard the vulnerable and critically ill children.

Amazingly the businessman-managed charity succeeded in bringing down the survival rate in resuscitation (to revive children from apparent death or unconsciousness) in the children to zero percent.

Founded by the scion of well-known Tabba family, Sohail Tabba, in 2010, the Childlife Foundation has been running children emergency services in two major hospitals in Karachi and 16 other primary care clinics treating 0.8 million patients annually.

It has also eliminated distance barriers and provided access to medical services under its Telemedicine setup. By using telecommunication and information technologies the senior doctors sitting at the headquarters of the Foundation provide clinical health care services to the patients at a distance of miles.

The joint venture has becomes a source of inspiration for those who seek to help ailing humanity in a more efficient and selfless manner.

As put in by the chief executive officer of the Foundation, Dr Ahsan Rabbani, the telemedicine could also provide a quick-fix solution to the doctors’ shortage in the far-flung basic health units in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, if bandwidth facility is available there.

It (telemedicine) can bring the change to the Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI)-run province in a month, Dr Rabbani said, while referring to PTI slogan of “Change” at least in healthcare sector.

The Foundation after an agreement with the Sindh adopted pediatric emergency (ER) in Civil Hospital and National Institute of Child Health (NICH) in 2010.

The pediatric ER in the hospital, which otherwise looks like a forsaken structure, was of high standard with its maculate façade, state-of-the-art equipment such as cardiac monitors, portable X-rays. The ER flooring to ceiling has been renovated with imported shelves, cupboards and other fixtures. The government only provides power and water amenities to both the facilities.

Dr Rabbani, while briefing the journalists during the Civil Hospital and NICH informed that the Child Foundation operated pediatric ER in both the facilities that received 1,000 to 1200 patients every day. “It has increased the survival rate at the critically ill children from 15 to 90 percent. While length of stay of the children has been brought down to five hours and 93 percent of the patients are discharged from the ER,” he added.

Pointing towards the oxygen-masks of the critically ill children at the Civil Hospital, he said, “We issue 258 masks daily that cost Rs4 million yearly.”

A memorandum of understanding has also been signed to adopt the Korangi 5 hospital’s pediatric ER, while the Foundation was spending Rs350 million to run 16 primary care clinics and preventive health programme.

Every ER maintains a pharmacy stock for 15 days with an annual expenditure of Rs700 million.

Tabba family owned the Younas Brother Group (YBG) that is one of the fastest growing groups in the country with an approximate turnover of $1.5 billion for financial year ended on 30 June 2015.

Besides, a vast range of industries across the world, the group also owns Lucky Cement and Gadoon textile-like concerns in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. We want to contribute and share the efforts of the provincial government to help people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sohail Tabba said.