Public Health in Northern Areas of Pakistan

There are three phases which constitute the design of this program for implementation.

1. To set up primary health care centres
2. To establish dispensaries
3. To build hospitals

                    " `What is the matter with you that ye help not each other?' (25:37, Noble Quran)"

PHASE-I .. To set up Primary Health Care Centres

In the continuing process of implementation of this phase, the health centres have increased to 36 in number by 1999, each working under a trained social worker on village level. Every one of these social workers is given a package of 18 medicines enough for treatment of illnesses from 25 to 30 of common kinds.                                                             

PHASE-II .. To Establish Dispensaries

Two dispensaries out of proposed network planned for the localities of comparatively bigger population, have been established so far, each with a trained compounder responsible for its function. The medical supplies to these dispensaries include injections besides packages of other medicines. The Government is in know of these dispensaries and they are sometimes visited by Government doctors.

PHASE - III.. To Build Hospitals

This phase has been initiated with establishment of a medical centre, a pathological laboratory and maternity home in Gilgit city, which perhaps will not be needed after the construction of the hospital in the Karsaz Complex. 

KARSAZ COMPLEX

A plot of about 13,200 sq. yards at Sakwar in the suburban area of Gilgit has been purchased, where a medical and educational complex shall be built.

The map below may help visualise well the projects the complex will comprise:-

1. A 50 bed hospital and a maternity home, both furnished with the latest, necessary equipment and facilities for treatment.
2. A para-medical training institute with capacity corresponding to the needs of the areas.
3. A computer laboratory.
4. A boys technical high school and a hostel.
5. A girls high school
6. Teachers quarters.

It is also hoped that this complex will also serve as centre to control and monitor the medical and educational institutions spread across the Northern Areas.

Medical and Eye Camps

Medical and Eye Camps are held to provide medical services to the people at their doorsteps. These camps, manned with gynaecologists, pediatricians, ENT & Eye surgeons and specialists of other diseases, were held at Dareel, Janglot, Astor-khas, Gahkoch, Gopis, Yasin Khas and Gilgit City. The numbers of such camps are on the increase annually. This reached seven by 1999 (in ten years). The people medically treated this year at these camps numbered 9686; they had free check-ups, diagnosis and supply of medicines. The cases of eye surgery performed in course of 3-day and 2-day camps respectively at Gahkoch and Gilgit were 26, a low figure likely because of the eye surgery being conducted at these localities for past several years.

Campaign against Blindness

Under a campaign, designed to caution the masses against blindness, a walk was organised at Gilgit city. The Secretary Health & Education and the Director-General of Health, led the procession.

Jati Medical Camp

In June 1999, a violent cyclone hit the coastal areas of Sindh rendering lacs (millions) of people homeless and destroying crops of the season over thousands of sq.kilometers from ketty Bunder to Jati. The Karsaz Trust arranged a medical camp at Jati of Thatta district as prompt response to the catastrophic situation of emergency calling for, besides other reliefs, medical measures for twin-reasons of administration of treatment to those wounded by the cyclone and danger of epidemics. (3290 Beneficiaries).

Media Coverage

We gratefully acknowledge the coverage given by Radio Pakistan, T.V. Channels of Pakistan and Newspapers of Pakistan to the Karsaz Medical and Eye camps in the Northern Areas and our services in the Sindh cyclone.