Azmat Welfare Foundation

Overview

The Charity's first project is the construction of a hospital in the rural area of Gujar Khan, Pakistan. The Charity was set up in May 2010 in response to the lack of free medical healthcare to those who cannot afford it, in the poorest parts of Pakistan. Pakistan does not have a free national health service. Care is provided by government run hospitals that charge a nominal fee, private run specialist hospitals, and very few hospitals run by charitable organisations.

Azmat Hospital

The construction of the Azmat hospital began in 2010 with the interior and exterior of the building expected to be completed by December 2012. The Foundation will open its doors to patients in early 2013. The construction has been funded from donations from members of the public and from many fundraising events which the Azmat Welfare Foundation have organised since the inception of the Charity. The hospital will allow the public to receive healthcare that will be free at the point of delivery. It will provide primary care services, a minor injuries and medical emergencies unit, and a maternity ward. In the long term, the AWF will also provide an inpatient service, along with an operating theatre for minor surgery with the capacity to cope with more major surgery from visiting surgical teams. The Foundation will also provide an outpatient facility and invite medical healthcare professionals to provide consultancy. The hospital will be run by a core team that will include doctors, nurses, and administration staff. The extra services will be provided by volunteers, namely doctors, nurses and allied health professionals from Europe and other well developed nations.

Opening

On April 13, 2013 the AWF officially opened its hospital doors to the public, since then it has seen 1200 patients in its first six weeks.