Health Services get a boost with UM Healthcare Trust Hospital in Mardan

UM Healthccare Trust has worked tirelessly to improve the quality of healthcare in rural Mardan. This year, their medical facility in village Zahidabad, which is 200 Km North of Islamabad, opened its doors to poor and destitute. Today, it treats over 2,000 patients a month.

“All medicines to the poor and needy are provided free of cost.” explains Mr. Sher Akbar, hospital Administrator and a village elder. “We only charge PKR 30/visit (US$0.40/visit)” from each patient as a token fee. We also offer free or subsidized medicines to the poor”. This is an important feature. Lots of patients are too poor to afford medicines and therefore, even if they see a doctor they cant continue their treatment due to lack of finances to procure medicines. UM Healthcare Trust, with the help of donors, makes it possible that the real destitute of the community still get the same treatment and medicines as the rich. Hence, playing a vital role in improving health services for the poor.

Apart from regular medical services, UM Healthcare Trust is also busy offering many other unique services. This includes, specialized medical training for community health workers and nurses. This training helps pharmacists, nurses, lady health workers and other healthcare professionals offer better and quality services to the community.

“Such trainings not only enhances the skills of community health workers, but also gives them a chance to learn new medical technology”. Explains Dr. Rizwan Naeem, a Pakistani doctor representing APPNA, one of the partners in this project. UM Healthcare is the first organization to do hold such trainings in rural Mardan district.

Regular specialized medical camps are also held at the facility, thus enabling rural communities to see specialists without needing to go to the city. “Such camps are essential in improving the community health problems”. Explains Ashfaq Khan, a local citizen. “We have no doctors and we have to take patients to the city since no specialist is available locally”.

UM Healthcare Trust prides itself by following the United Nation's MDG for betterment of healthcare in Pakistan. “These goals set by United Nations help us focus better on what we need to provide to the local community” explains Mr. Mumtaz Ali, Chairman of the Board of Trustees for the hospital.

The trust was formed in 2004 in loving memory of Mrs Umrana Mumtaz who died of cancer. One of her last wishes was that a community run hospital be built for the poor in rural Mardan. With the help of donors and well wishers, the facility began full operations earlier this year.

UM Healthcare Trust also prides itself in recruiting staff from the local community. Thus not only creating job opportunities for the community but also bringing a sense of ownership. The facility is completely run and managed by the local citizens and hence the quality of service is far better than many government run facilities in the area.

The UM Healthcare Trust facility is supported by well wishers and donors from the community, USAID, APPNA, NUST and Cogilent Solutions.