HOPES (Help Of Patients in Exigency by Students)

History

Abbasi Shaheed Hospital, the teaching hospital of Karachi Medical & Dental College, was in appalling need of a philanthropic organization. In 1995, the first group of Karachi Medical & Dental College, pondered upon the need for a welfare organization in Abbasi Shaheed Hospital where many patients died or left sparsely treated due to very high expenditure of treatment. Here is one account of one founding member of how the idea was conceived and then implemented. "The very first meeting to discuss the idea took place in the temporary building of then new site of Karachi Medical and Dental College, in the late summer of 1995. Zahid Azam along with Asmoni Younis, Afshan Urooj and Tanvir (of very first batch of MBBS '1997) met with Owais Farooqi, BDS '98. Owais had previosuly worked for Patient Welfare Association (A Student run welfare organization at Dow Medical College). Zahid had earlier seen a patient dieing in the hospital from lack of a drug called Epinephrine, needed in a life threatening condition. That was too hard to witness. The cost of the drug was no more than few bucks. But hospital ran out of it and additional supplies were not available unless patient can afford to buy themselves and many can't. The group agreed that they can not stand by and witness the avoidable tragedies. So the decision was made to organize to give hope to the poor and needy. Next day, Owais, BDS '98, proposed the name of the organization capturing the very essence of mission, and Sara Samreen, MBBS '98, drew its logo. Constitution was presented in the first official meeting which took place on the fourth floor of Abbasi Shaheed Hospital, attended by founding members and senior faculty including Prof.Drs. Salimullah and Siraj-ud -Daula Syed. Another faculty member who strongly supported the organization in its early days was Dr. Tameem (Head of Radiology). HOPES was registered as NGO in Dec 1995, with actual papers filed by late Khuram Amjad BDS '97. "

H.O.P.E.S. commenced its journey by establishing a free–of–cost Drug Bank in a small room in Abbasi Shaheed Hospital with very limited resources. The Drug Bank later became famous as Room No. 41. Students of Karachi Medical & Dental College spent 3–4 hours after their college in this room as volunteers. For seven years H.O.P.E.S. remained confined to this room with limited resources and funds from which it could only help 4 out of 10 patients admitted in the hospital. Volunteers collected Zakat and donations from their friends and families to ensure a dynamic budget.

In 2003 a No–profit–No–loss pharmacy was established in Abbasi Shaheed Hospital where every patient of Abbasi Shaheed Hospital and even outsiders could get medicines, surgical items and other medicinal materials at the lowest price in the city. After the successful experiment of Abbasi Shaheed Hospital pharmacy, H.O.P.E.S. opened two more pharmacies; one in Karachi Institute of Heart Diseases and the other in Dental O.P.D. in Karachi Medical & Dental College.

H.O.P.E.S. started to move uphill step by step with the passage of time. In 2005 earthquake, the volunteers of H.O.P.E.S. stood-up for their nation and provided medical aid to the victims of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Since then H.O.P.E.S. has been working for the victims of various natural disasters throughout the nation including the flood of 2011, 2012 and the latest earthquake which hit Baluchistan in 2013.

On 7 May 2015, H.O.P.E.S. successfully established its Diagnostic Laboratory near Abbasi Shaheed Hospital.

Cabinet

Like other leading organizations, H.O.P.E.S. also has a well-managed cabinet that take care of all the matters of the organization. The Cabinet consists of some 36-members including Patron In-Chief; Prof. Saleemullah and Patron; Prof. Waqar Kazmi, who is also the principal of Karachi Medical & Dental College.

Free Drug Bank

H.O.P.E.S. Drug Bank is located in Main Building of Abbasi Shaheed Hospital. The Drug Bank is entirely run by the students of Karachi Medical and Dental College that act as Volunteers after their college time. Drug Bank provides free of cost medicines to Zakat deserving (masaarif-e-zakat) and non-affordable patients. Volunteers also dispense the prescribed medicines to the beds of the patients.

H.O.P.E.S. Drug Bank has a vast variety of drugs for injection, tablets and other forms of medications including Antibiotics, NSAIDs, Anti-allergics, Anticoagulants, Anti-hyperlipidemics, Vitamins and Minerals, Protein Suspensions and many others.

No profit-No loss Pharmacies

Currently, three pharmacies of H.O.P.E.S. are running successfully in;

All H.O.P.E.S. pharmacies serve on the basis of No Profit - No Loss and provide drugs and surgical items at very low price.

Diagnostic Laboratory

H.O.P.E.S. Diagnostic Laboratory provides patients with vast number of Diagnostic Tests including Serological, Hematological, Biochemical and Microbiological Tests at very low and affordable price. Best researchers and leading technicians have been appointed to make the processes more perfect so that the results will be more accurate. Laboratory provides free services to Zakat Deserving and non-affordable patients admitted at Abbasi Shaheed Hospital.

Arrangement of Blood and Blood products

H.O.P.E.S. makes arrangements of blood and blood products for transfusion the cost of which is borne by the H.O.P.E.S account.

Aid to Victims of Natural Disasters

H.O.P.E.S. has aided not only in-house patients but has gone miles also in helping people affected with natural disasters. The volunteers provide all the medical and rehabilitation facilities to the affected people.

In 2005 Earthquake, H.O.P.E.S. stepped into its first outdoor philanthropy and aided the natural disaster affected people.

In 2011 and 2012, Dadu district encountered massive flood that caused severe damage to people. H.O.P.E.S. volunteers visited District Dadu and prepared a well-planned rescue mission for these people in two phases;

In 2011, H.O.P.E.S. visited Badin District along with S.K.F. to help the flood victims of Badin District and provided Mobile Medical Camp, 1000 tents for shelter, Ration supply for around 400 families of different villages in Union Council SERANI, District Badin.

On 24 September 2013, a massive earthquake hit Balochistan Province. It was yet another dark day for the people of Pakistan. A week later H.O.P.E.S. received a call from a colleague who told about a place where no aid had yet reached. Our volunteers set up their bags and prepared for the trip with the intent of serving their brothers in need. Mashkai, is a village in the district of Awaraan, Balochistan. It is known as the place where not even military can enter. There is an ongoing insurgency in that village and the rebellions do not let anyone enter, which is why the government has stopped their aid to help the people there. Not a single welfare organization is allowed to enter. This village had a total of approximately 400 families and each was provided with Ration (including 20 kg flour, 2 kg rice, 2 kg pulses, a packet of oil, blankets, and 1 suit each for the members of the family) and Medical aid.

Currently, H.O.P.E.S. started its Heat Stroke relief Campaign to help the victims. The Volunteers dispensed almost all the patients in the Emergency Ward with Normal Saline, Ringer lactate, drip sets, cannula, nebulizer mask and many more medications that were required.

H.O.P.E.S. also collaborated with the Army relief camp that was set up for the victims, and provided medications in the camp.

Mobile Medical Camps

These camps are run by the young doctors and medical students of Karachi Medical & Dental College who volunteer to dispense their clinical knowledge to people who are unable to reach medical facilities.

Upcoming Projects

Fund Raising Events

H.O.P.E.S. is working and progressing uphill by the help and assistance of our kind and generous countrymen who donate whole-heartedly and help H.O.P.E.S. to aid deprived people. Along with local citizens, Pakistanis who are settled abroad also lend helping hands to helpless people.

Apart of it, H.O.P.E.S. organized several events that help the organization to generate funds.

H.O.P.E.S. Monthly Donation Campaign

H.O.P.E.S. volunteers run a campaign every month in Karachi Medical & Dental College and collect donations from students. It is one of the crucial event that assists organization to work in rhythm and smoothly.

H.O.P.E.S. Ramadan Zakat Campaign

Every year in the Holy month of Ramadan, H.O.P.E.S. sprints an annual Zakat Campaign to make maximum benefits from this gracious part of the year. Volunteers make extensive efforts to generate enough funds in this month that can be spent for an entire year. In this campaign, volunteers move door to door in residential societies and at different public places, shopping malls and hospitals to collect funds.

Along with this outdoor campaign, Volunteers and rest of the Students of Karachi Medical & Dental College collect Zakat and donations by their own from their families, friends, relatives, neighbors and teachers.

This Annual Zakat Campaign is one of the major fund raising event that helps H.O.P.E.S. to stay strong and steady.

H.O.P.E.S. Annual Hides Campaign

H.O.P.E.S. volunteers skip their all activities on Eid-ul-Azha and strive hard to collect hides of sacrificial animals around the city. Hides of cows, goats and camel are collected through which funds are generated. Different teams of volunteers are devised that reach at the doorsteps to collect hides on one-call.

H.O.P.E.S. Annual Carnival

It is the biggest fund raising event arranged by H.O.P.E.S. The organization provide a healthy entertainment to the common public and simultaneously collect funds for our cause.

Zakat and Donations

H.O.P.E.S. receive Zakat and Donations from people directly in H.O.P.E.S. Pharmacy, Ground Floor, Trauma Center, Abbasi Shaheed Hospital, Tabish Dehlvi Road, Nazimabad No. 3, Karachi. Donors can send cheques and drafts payable to H.O.P.E.S. via courier or any TCS Center in Pakistan to the H.O.P.E.S. address. Along with this, people can also donate on-line or through ATM or deposit at any on-line branch of Habib Bank Ltd. using following information;