LA Community’s
Show of Generosity to Combat Blindness in Pakistan
A Pakistan Link Report
Pictures by Naushad Sarwar
(Left):
N. M. Jadmani, Jahandad Khan, Ahmed Ali, Terry M.
Shaikh and Mansoor Shah. (Center): Jahandad Khan and
Najeeb Ghauri. (Right): A group of organizers and
guests with Jahandad Khan. (Below): Guests at the
fundraiser |
If the Al-Shifa Eye
Trust & Foundation has made its mark as a vibrant organization
to combat blindness in Pakistan, the Al Shifa Foundation
of North America has been no less enterprising in raising
funds for the noble cause. The North American Chapter of
the Trust provided a fresh proof of its zestful involvement
in the noble undertaking when it organized a successful
fundraiser at the Marriott-Long Beach on Saturday, May 13,
2006.
Keynote speakers on the occasion were Lt. Gen. (Retd.) Jahandad
Khan, President Al-Shifa Eye Trust & Foundation, and
Mr. Noor Mohammad Jadmani, Consul General of Pakistan, Los
Angeles. Entertainment was provided by the Faizan Mehdi
Hassan Orchestra.
The evening turned out to be a memorable one as the Los
Angeles Pakistani-American community – described as
“vibrant, enterprising and cohesive” by Consul
General Noor Mohammad Jadmani – made generous donations
as a testament of its support for well-meaning strivings.
NetSol’s Najeeb Ghauri alone made a hefty contribution
of $10,000. The total exceeded one hundred thousand dollars,
a figure that the Al Shifa Foundation of North America had
hoped to raise on Saturday.
Speaking
on the occasion, Lt. Gen. (Retd.) Jahandad Khan said that
blindness afflicts two million people in Pakistan - a staggering
figure! The incidence of eye diseases in the northern parts
of Pakistan has been appreciable and has a history. During
the period of Ashoka “the biggest eye care center
was established at Taxila.” The situation has been
alarming over the centuries and it is absolutely imperative
today to establish state-of-the-art hospitals for the prevention
and cure of blindness. Explaining the raison d’etre
of the Al-Shifa
Eye Trust and Foundation
thus, the General went on to quickly recount the Trust’s
history and services.
The first eye hospital of 250 beds established at Rawalpindi
in 1991 is now considered a center of excellence and provides
“best quality” eye care. A second hospital established
at Sukkur in 2000 provides similar services to upper Sindh
and adjoining areas of Punjab and Baluchistan. The Trust’s
third hospital became operational in the city of Kohat in
2005. Two new hospitals will be built at Quetta and Muzaffarabad
in the near future. Thanks to the state-of-the-art techniques
employed for the treatment of eye diseases and the professionalism
of its ophthalmologists, the Al-Shifa Trust won a WHO Partnership
Award recently. In its drive to keep abreast of latest eye-care
techniques and up-gradation of skills, the Trust has established
linkages with leading eye hospitals and universities of
the world. It has also drawn up “2025,” a 20-year
development plan for the future.
Above:
Guests and Faizan Mehdi Hassan
at the Al-Shifa Trust Fundraiser |
General Jahandad informed
the gathering that in Rawalpindi alone 500-700 patients
are examined and about 100 operations carried out every
day. Seventy percent of the patients receive free treatment
while 30 percent make payment at subsidized rates. About
5,000 children are operated upon every year.
The observations of Dr. Badru Kurwa, professor of ophthalmology
at the University of Southern California and member of the
Host Committee, sounded music to the ears. According to
him, the treatment at the Al-Shifa hospitals was as good
as that at any leading hospital of the world!
The Host Committee included Dr. Mansoor Shah, Mr. Bob Din,
Mr. Najeeb Ghouri, Dr. Arif Rizv, Mr. Ali Karim, Dr. Badru
Kurwa and LA Chapter President Mr. Ahmed Ali and each one
of them appeared visibly keen to make the fundraiser a success.
Mr. Terry M. Shaikh, President Al-Shifa Foundation of North
America, had especially flown from Houston, Texas to attend
the event. The Faizan Mehdi Hassan Orchestra performance
was superb and ungrudgingly deserved the best superlatives.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
