Alkhidmat to deliver medicines at cheap rates at patients’ doorstep

Following the provision of diagnostic services to patients at their homes, the Alkhidmat Foundation and online food and grocery delivery service Foodpanda signed an agreement on Monday to deliver quality medicines from the foundation’s pharmacies at patients’ doorsteps within 30 minutes of the placement of an order at discounted rates.

“At a time when the cost of health care is rising in the country, Alkhidmat has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Foodpanda to deliver quality medicines at discounted prices from Alkhidmat’s pharmacies to patients’ doorsteps within 30 minutes,” Hafiz Naeemur Rehman, president of Alkhidmat Karachi, told journalists after signing an MoU with the Foodpanda management at their headquarters in Karachi.

As per the agreement, thousands of riders would deliver medicines from Alkhidmat’s pharmacies in Karachi to the doorsteps of patients within 30 minutes of the placement of an order. These medicines would be provided at highly discounted prices, organisers said.

Accompanied by Director Pharmacy Services Alkhidmat Syed Jamshed Ahmed, Executive Director Alkhidmat Rashid Qureshi, Chief Financial Officer Alkhidmat Syed Abul Ala Siddiqui and Umaima Muzzamil, Rehman said the foundation was already providing home-based diagnostic services to the people of Karachi and now it had entered into a new partnership to deliver quality medicines to people at their doorsteps at affordable prices.

“Sindh’s healthcare budget is of Rs173 billion, of which at least Rs15 billion are allocated for free medicines, but most of the people don’t get free medicines from the public sector hospitals. In these circumstances, Alkhidmat has decided to provide genuine and quality medicines at discounted prices to people, which would be delivered by Foodpanda riders within 30 minutes of placing the order.”

To a query, Rehman said that although free healthcare was the responsibility of the government, they were trying to raise enough funds to provide medicines to extremely needy and deserving people. He added that they would also try to increase the discount rates as drugs were becoming unaffordable for most people due to rising inflation.

Alkhidmat’s Pharmacy Service Director Syed Jamshed Ahmed said medicine is the most important intervention in a healthcare system, but getting genuine medicines with optimum efficacy at affordable prices is a serious issue in Pakistan.

“We are purchasing medicines directly from top 50 drug manufacturers in Pakistan, so there is no chance of having any spurious or substandard medicines. We have 11 pharmacies in Karachi and we are trying to increase the number of 50 pharmacies throughout the city to deliver quality medicines to every nook and corner of the city with the support of Foodpanda riders.”