Going Beyond Healthcare in IDP crisis

In this time of crisis where millions of people in the North West Frontier Province (NWFP) in Pakistan have been rendered homeless, UM healthcare is embarking on a much bigger mission and objective than its original mandate. With the influx of over hundred thousand refugees in close proximity to our medical facility in village Zahidabad (located close to the border of Buner District with Mardan), we are now even assisting them in securing food rations, shelter and even clothings.

In 2004, we had setup UM Healthcare Trust with the mission to provide affordable and low cost medical services to the poor and needy in Pakistan. In 2005, we added Pakistan's first rural Tele-health comprehensive services to our mandate. And now, when two million people are rendered homeless in their own homeland, we are tasked with extending other services to the refugees. One of the reasons for going beyond is because of little or no support from the government and the non-profit sector in our area of operations. Since the crisis began, only one or two relief agencies have setup token presence in our area. With the result, we are left with no choice but to fill the huge gap left in the relief operations.

We are in the process of forming strategic alliances with other organizations working in disaster relief. So far, Edhi Foundation and individuals like you have come forward to help us distribute food rations and clothings to these IDPs (Internally Displaced Persons). Edhi Foundation, this past Wednesday (May 20, 2009) distributed 170 bags of wheat to needy families that we had identified working with the local community leaders. Doctors for Relief of Irish and Pakistan (DRIP) have also stepped forward to collaborate with us on a first regular free kitchen for the IDP community. At the same time, UM healthcare, with the help of the community, recently setup a lunger (free kitchen) for the displaced where they could come and eat as much as they want all day long.

We also have taken in-kind donations (clothing, shoes and utensils) and distributed them to the displaced refugees, especially kids. Clothing is highly central to relief operations as the only clothes they own are the ones they are wearing in which they fled their homes.

In coming weeks, we are working on making this process more streamlined and structured, whereby such services could be offered to the community on a regular and sustainable basis.

Many thanks to our partners and collaborators Edhi Foundation (Ambulance service, food rations), APPNA (medicines), Disaster Management Center Abbotabad (Medicines & Medical Camp), DRIP (Medical Camp and food rations), CDRS (Medical Camp and medicines), Mumtaz Bakhtawar Memorial Trust Hospital (Medicines and Medical Camp) and ordinary citizens who are helping and collaborating with us to achieve our ambitious goals.

At the same time, since May 9, 2009 (in two weeks), with close collaboration with our partners have treated over 4,000 IDPs in our area free of cost and given them free medicines. Hence, we are still focused on our original goals and objectives but have expanded them to achieve even better results.