Issue # 18 June 2015

MALC Issue # 18 June 2015 The person is the centre of our concern. His dignity is our sacred trust. ~ Dr. Ruth Pfau, M.D., D.Sc., NQA MALC puts the patient first. Always. There has never been a moment where a patient has been neglected or ignored. Our staff strives to reach out to all corners and provide help to affected individuals. With 157 centres across the country since MALC was established, there is ample evidence to justify 56,470 patients cured of Leprosy, 180,000 patients treated for TB and 220,000 annual consultations for Eye-related ailments. In providing comprehensive care to the patients, our staff regularly conducts field follow-ups, engages in contact screening and Directly Observed Therapy Strategy (DOTS), provide socio-economic support and Community-Based Rehabilitation (CBR) to patients. The Holy month of Ramazan has begun and the spirit of alms-giving provides all of us with an opportunity to help these affected people. MALC aims to heal lives by providing a platform for rehabilitation and treatment where Leprosy, TB and Prevention of Blindness is concerned. With the help received from Zakat last year, 5,293 Leprosy patients were given free treatment, 9,470 lives were saved from TB (53% being women and children) and 146,883 patients received free eye treatment. We want to continue this and restore as much normalcy to as many lives as possible. Published By: MALC Mariam Manzil, AM 21, Off Shahrah-e-Liaquat, P.O Box 8666, Saddar, Karachi - 74400, Pakistan. Phone(s): (92 21) 35684151, 35682706, 35688007 Fax: (92 21) 35683106 Email: secretariat@malc.org.pk Website: www.malc.org.pk Patrons: Dr. Ruth Pfau, M.D., D.Sc., NQA Mr. Mervyn Lobo, CEO Chief Editor: Dr. Ali Murtaza Editor: Mr. Christopher Vaz Composed By: Communications Department Advisory Board: Dr. Mutaher Zia Mr. Zahoor Iqbal Gill Mr. Savio Pereira Mr. Nisar Malik Mr. Zafar Saleem Ms. Salwa Zainab Mr. Francis D Souza Photographs By: Mr. Nisar Iqbal Gill Mr. Bashir Vincent Mr. Francis Shehzad Mr. Zafar Saleem

MALC is serving Leprosy, TB & Eye patients FREE OF COST. The treatment cost not only includes medical and surgical treatment but also, in most cases, fulfilling physical, economic and social needs of Persons with Disabilities (PwDs). Please deposit your contribution to the account number (18-7423462-01) at Standard Chartered Bank, or send your cheque directly to the MALC Head Office. *All donations are tax-exempt under Section 2(36) of the Income Tax Ordinance 2001. For Overseas Donations Zakat/Donations can be made out in the form of Bank Cheques, Cashier Cheques, and Bank Drafts payable to i-care Fund America. US Donors need to follow these steps for donating their Zakat/Charity to Marie Adelaide Leprosy Centre (MALC): Fill out the online donation form on the website (http://www.i-care-america.org/donation-2?generaldonation=). Write out the cheque in the name of i-care Fund America, Inc. mentioning Marie Adelaide Leprosy Centre (MALC) at bottom of the cheque in the field for. Cheques are to be deposited in the nearest branch of Bank of America Account Number 4636612240. *All donations made to Marie Adelaide Leprosy Centre (MALC) by US residents through i-care are tax exempt in USA Endowment Fund To donate towards the MALC Endowment Fund, please deposit your contribution directly to our Account # (08 1845851 01) at Standard Chartered Bank Corporates/Individuals can also adopt one of the following projects for 3 4 years: Rs. 7,000,000/- for food expenses of patients admitted in Wards. Rs. 5,000,000/- for purchase of medicines for TB patients. Rs. 3,500,000/- for purchase of general medicines. Rs. 3,000,000/- to maintain Ittehad Manzil (hospice for PwDs). Rs. 2,500,000/- to adopt a Ward at the hospital (for 1 year). Rs. 2,000,000/- for providing Intra-Ocular Lenses (IOLs) for cataract patients (3,600 IOLs for 1 year). Rs. 1,500,000/- to adopt a TM Centre (for 1 year). Rs. 1,000,000/- to procure Eye medicines (for 1 year). Rs. 500,000/- for 1 Eye Camp in remote areas (150 cataract surgeries to be performed). SPONSOR a patient at MALC Rs. 2,500/- to perform one cataract surgery with IOL. Rs. 7,000/- to save a life of one TB patient. Rs. 15,000/- for one year education of a child of a Leprosy patient. Rs. 25,000/- for complete treatment and rehabilitation of one Leprosy patient. Rs. 35,000/- to set up a small business for one PwD to live his/her life with dignity. International Support Reported By: Christopher Vaz Communications Officer International Donors CARITAS ST. PÖLTEN (AUSTRIA) SPONSORS MEDICAL CAMPS IN THAR With the support of Caritas St. Pölten, MALC has conducted 8 medical camps, since March, in Diplo and Islamkot. With almost 350 patients being treated for various diseases and malnourishment in each camp, MALC tried to reach out to as many patients as possible. Intestinal, respiratory, skin and eye infections were all diagnosed and treatment was given on the spot. Mineral water, fortified food and medicines were also provided to the affected patients. Advanced cases were referred to the nearest Civil Hospital in the city for free treatment. FRRP CONSORTIUM MEETING IN ST. PÖLTEN, AUSTRIA (June 2015) The meeting, held in St. Pölten, included MALC team members (Mr. Mervyn Lobo, Dr. Ali Murtaza and Mr. Uzair Kiani), Mr. Ernst Hisch (Project Officer & Social Advisor), Mr. Andreas Zinggl (Programme Manager), Mr. Georg Matuschkowitz and Mr. Josef Worm (Consortium FRRP coordinator), representing DAHW, Caritas St. Pölten and Caritas Austria respectively. With almost 90% of the targets achieved since 2012, the project is nearing its conclusion after 3 years of post-flood rehabilitative work in Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. MALC, KfW AND EPOS COLLABORATE TO EXECUTE TB PROJECT IN KPK Under the financial assistance of KfW, MALC is implementing TB control activities in collaboration with EPOS and Provincial TB Control Program (PTP) KPK. The activities are focused in three districts: Buner, Kohistan and Swabi. During the past five months, active case finding has been initiated through conducting TB camps in under-served areas including rural areas and slums. TB contacts screening of index cases at the door steps is also a major activity of this project. 2

62 nd WORLD LEPROSY DAY CELEBRATIONS AT MALC This year (2015), the world celebrated the 62 nd World Leprosy Day on 25 th January. To commemorate this special day, MALC had also scheduled various events for its stakeholders throughout the duration of the celebrations, which lasted for over a week. The celebrations began with a Press Conference that was held at the MALC Head Office. It was attended by a large number of media personnel who gave adequate coverage to MALC in the newspapers and TV channels. The speakers stressed on proper collaboration between media and MALC so that the fight to keep Pakistan healthy and disease-free continues. The Main Function was held at the Arts Council in Karachi. Dr. Pfau was the Chief Guest for the occasion. The function was attended by a large gathering of guests, including the German Consul General as well as various representatives from renowned NGO s and donor agencies. Patients Day was also celebrated enthusiastically by the hospital staff and patients. There was full participation from all involved and the patients truly had a memorable day. Following this, Visitors Day and Volunteers Day continued the World Leprosy Day celebrations where the patients were given an opportunity to meet with school-children and other guests who came to visit the hospital. The visitors brought some gifts with them and these were distributed to the patients, thus fulfilling the purpose of the day: that the visitors should interact with the patients without fear. The final event which was held, as part of the World Leprosy Day festivities, was the annual Staff Day. Held at the beach, this event was a day of fun and relaxation for all management and non-management staff. Celebrated with enthusiasm, the staff whole-heartedly participated in songs and games to make this event memorable for all. MALC CELEBRATES FOUNDERS DAY MALC was built on the foundations laid by very important women: Dr. Ruth Pfau, Sr. Berenice Vargas, Sr. Jeannine Geuns, Dr. Zarina Fazalbhoy and Mother Doyle. A day is set aside in March to celebrate and recognize the sacrifices and efforts that they made in order to establish the present-day MALC. While Dr. Pfau and Sr. Jeannine are still with us here today and working as hard as ever, the (late) Dr. Fazalbhoy, Sr. Vargas and Mother Doyle have also left lasting impressions on many of the older staff and management, and their contributions were also acknowledged and appreciated. INTERNATIONAL WOMEN S DAY CELEBRATED AT MALC As with most celebrations and special days, MALC also celebrated International Women s Day with enthusiasm and zeal. Keeping in mind the global theme MAKE IT HAPPEN for the occasion, the idea was to showcase and empower the women and minorities living in Pakistan. The celebration was simple and Dr. Pfau spoke eloquently about education, justice and rights of the women in Pakistan. 40 female staff members of MALC were also given a small gift to remember the day a small purple scarf and a dozen purple bangles were distributed to all to symbolize the message of justice and dignity. MALC HEALTH EDUCATION DEPARTMENT CREATES AWARENESS An important aspect of Health Education (HE) is the creation of awareness about various diseases how to detect and identify symptoms, and to take measures to prevent it from worsening. Over the years, the MALC HE Department has done a commendable job by approaching various schools, colleges and universities to talk about Leprosy, TB and Blindness, while also providing an insight into the work that MALC does and how much more work is still left to be done in Pakistan. United Medical and Dental College (UMDC) and Koohi Goth Hospital (KGH) were the most recent institutions to have benefitted from the awareness created by the HE Department. Besides conducting an awareness session at any institution, the HE team also conducts a routine health check with the participants to identify any symptoms of illnesses. St. Phillip s School, St. Lawrence s Boys School and St. Patrick s High School (Primary Section) had their students inspected for health-related issues. 3

I earn a decent amount of money a day. It helps me to provide food and clothing for my family. The donkey and cart has given me independence and I feel proud of myself when I work for the community. Written By: Bashir Vincent National Social Officer, MALC Headquarters Background: Gul Mohammad, a 45-year old from Sher Mohammad Baloch Village, has a wife and four minor children. He used to work on daily wages as a peasant in fields that were owned by landlords. Due to his disability (he is mute and is hard of hearing) he was irregular in his work and was paid a wage that was far lower than his co-workers. Another person had to act as a middleman to negotiate the work and wages for him. As a result, it was difficult for him to earn enough to provide for the family and therefore, he was not sending his children to school. It was sad and depressing for him to live his life in this manner. Support from MALC: MALC carried out a routine community survey and located and registered persons who were suffering with a disability in the community. The MALC team conducted a community meeting, provided counselling to the individual and prepared a plan to increase the family income in spite of the affected person s disability. A possible plan was discussed with Gul Mohammad and in October 2013, MALC decided to provide him with a donkey and a cart. Research showed that this was found to be the most feasible and appropriate intervention for him. Furthermore, MALC also constructed a house for him as his house was destroyed by the flood. Change has arrived! Gul Mohammad proudly announces that he now earns Rs. 350/- a day. He sends two of his children to school, with proper uniform, books and study material. His wife is happy and stressfree as the family now has enough income to feed themselves. She is also involved in daily wage work and producing handicrafts. Due to his work Gul Mohammad s participation in the community activity has also increased and he is one of the contributing members of his village at present. 4

Written By: Nisar Gill Social Supervisor, MALC Headquarters Gaji Mallah is about 45 kilometers away from District Badin and it falls under the management of Bughra Memon Union Council. In 2011, the whole village was submerged by the heavy downpour. The people lost everything they had in the floods. They were completely dependent on assistance from NGOs and the government as they had nothing. But nobody visited to console them or to provide them with financial support. As a result, they had to reconstruct their poorly constructed homes within the meager resources at their disposal. By profession, the villagers are fishermen while some also rear cattle for a living. The village consists of 40 families and because of the floods, they are now amongst the poorest of the poor. Additionally, they also faced a lot of problems with regards to drinking water they needed to travel for almost 2 kilometers, by foot, to fetch water for cooking and drinking purposes. When the team from MALC visited the village, they assessed the condition of the inhabitants thoroughly and recommended the MALC management to provide these people with livestock to help them in the rehabilitation process. As a result, 120 sheep were given to these families. TESTIMONIAL of Ramzan (resident of Gaji Mallah) Ramzan is 50 years of age. By profession he is a fisherman. He has seven family members and barely manages his day to day financial needs. He was actively involved during the purchase of sheep in the cattle market (during the FRRP Livestock intervention) and provided much-needed information to the MALC team. The villagers were very happy to see the livestock that MALC had agreed to provide for them. A day after the livestock was distributed in the village, Ramzan informed the MALC team that it was the first time, after the floods, when they consumed their tea with milk. Previously all the villagers only had black tea. As he was elaborating on this new-found development, he had tears in his eyes, but these were the tears of happiness and joy. It is the little things like these that provide happiness to those affected by extreme poverty. Ramazan and his village provide living proof that by simply consuming tea made with milk it can be a huge source of relief and joy for them. The MALC team was content with their rehabilitation contribution towards this village and will always be available to assist them further if needed. 5

Flood Reconstruction & Rehabilitation Reported By: Nisar Malik Manager, Media The locations where the project is being implemented are: Digri, Badin, Shahdadkot and Tharparkar in Sindh, and Swat, Kohistan, Buner, Charsadda and Nowshera in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The project has been funded by a Consortium of three major International partners DAHW Germany, Caritas St. Pölten and Caritas Austria. With the kind support of these trusted partners, the project is progressing well, and since September 2012, has achieved almost 90% of the set targets in the following sectors: In Shelters, the project has so far constructed 1,956 singleroom units. These shelters have been handed over to families who have shifted from tents to their newly constructed shelters. With multiple interventions of Water Schemes, over 25,000 people have access to drinking water. Water is now available at a convenient distance for most families and this saves women from travelling far distances. The risk of waterborne diseases has also been reduced as the water from each installation site has been properly tested in laboratories before being cleared to drink.. Most deserving families were also helped with Livestock to save their children from the risk of malnutrition. The families who were selected are getting multiple benefits from milk and its by-products. 212 cows and 897 goats were vaccinated and then distributed to 511 families having the necessary knowledge about well-being and care of animals. For the ultra-poor families, income-generating activities are also being carried out. 218 families helped from the provision of grocery shops, donkeys with carts, sewing machines and equipment. 75 families also helped with interest-free loans for their agriculture development. 807 families suffering from malnutrition were helped with supplement food. With this intervention mortality rate in children and pregnant women has been reduced. Affected communities are also being given necessary knowledge about healthy diets and malnutrition through regular awareness sessions. The communities are also being helped in the health sector by conducting OPDs and Medical Camps on regular basis. Over 10,000 patients suffering from Respiratory Tract Infection, Skin diseases, Diarrhea and other general diseases have been treated so far. The project has registered 347 Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) for rehabilitation. 129 of them have been supported with physiotherapy services, access to mobility, medical assistance and assistive devices. Efforts are also being made to create inclusive environment where PWDs can live a better life. Some adult PWDs have been supported with incomegenerating activities and they are now contributing to their family income through different livelihood activities. In order to create a healthy environment, over 20,000 plants have been planted with full cooperation and participation of communities. AWARENESS SHELTER WATER LIVELIHOOD LIVESTOCK FOOD SUPPLEMENT CBR 6

Corporate News Reported By: Salwa Zainab Manager, Resource Mobilization NBP RE-ADOPTS FEMALE WARD AT MALC In a ceremony held at National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) Head Office, Mr. Syed Ahmed Iqbal Ashraf (President, NBP), presented a cheque to MALC for the adoption of its MALC female ward in the hospital. The staff and management at MALC are extremely grateful to NBP for their continued support towards the MALC cause. Through this donation, NBP has made quality healthcare accessible to society s most disadvantaged segment patients affected by Leprosy, Tuberculosis and Blindness. STANDARD CHARTERED BANK CONTRIBUTES TOWARDS MALC S ENDOWMENT FUND AND EYE CAMPS The bank has always offered its support whole-heartedly over the years and its contribution towards the Endowment Fund is another example of how helpful SCB has been towards MALC. In a simple ceremony held in January, at SCB s Head Office, Mr. Shahzad Dada (President, Standard Chartered Bank) handed over a cheque to Dr. Ruth Pfau (Founder Member, MALC) for MALC's Endowment Fund. Also present, from Standard Chartered Bank, were Mr. Farhan Ahmed (Head, Business and Corporate Communications) and Ms. Khadija Hashmi (Head, Corporate Affairs). Additionally, SCB has also contributed towards Eye Camps in Balochistan as part of its support for MALC. FAYSAL BANK CONTINUES ITS SUPPORT FOR TB CONTROL ACTIVITIES In January 2015, Mr. Nauman Ansari (President and CEO, Faysal Bank) presented a cheque to Dr. Ruth Pfau (Founding Member, MALC) for the treatment of TB patients at the various MALC Triple-Merger centres in Gilgit-Baltistan. Ms. Rabia Salahuddin (Head HR Advisory, Learning & CSR/IC, Faysal Bank) and Mr. Syed Khalid (CSR Internal Communications HR Function, Faysal Bank) were also present on the occasion. K-Electric and MALC, held a Skin Camp at Altaf Town in Korangi. K- Electric was represented by Ms. Zehra Mehdi (Deputy Director, ESG and Sustainability Management) and Mr. Usman Moeen (Deputy Manager, Sustainability Development). Mr. Eamonn O Shaughnessy, the New Zealand High Commissioner to Pakistan, recently visited MALC, accompanied by Mr. Moin Fudda, Honorary NZL Consul General for Pakistan. MALC participates in International CSR Summit (12 th Feb 2015) 59 years of your support has helped MALC treat patients with Leprosy, TB and Blindness, FREE OF CHARGE. Your Zakat can help us save hundreds of lives this year too. INAUGURATION CEREMONY OF RENOVATED NATIONAL TRAINING CENTRE AND CLASSROOM AT MALC Ms. Ainee Shehzad, Chairperson MALC Fundraising Committee, was the brain behind this entire project. This project was dedicated to the memory of Dr. Samira Khalid Zoberi (Ms. Ainee Shehzad s sister) and was supported by the Quraishi, Salim and Zoberi families. The Guests of Honour for this event were Senator Mrs. Tanvir Khalid and Engr. Khalid Rashid Quaraishi (parents of Dr. Samira Khalid Zoberi). The Chief Speakers for the event included Dr. Ruth Pfau, Founder Member MALC, Mr. Mervyn Lobo, CEO MALC, and Mrs. Tanvir Khalid. 7

Corporate News Reported By: Salwa Zainab Manager, Resource Mobilization MALC was proud to host Mr. Emil Wyss (Consul General, Switzerland), Mrs. Arie Wyss (his wife) and Ms. Kimberley D Souza (Secretary, Consulate General of Switzerland) at its Head Office. Mr. Francois Dall Orso (Consul General, France) visited the MALC Head Office and was given an update on the work that MALC does in Pakistan. MALC conducts Medical Camp, in collaboration with Tameer Bank, in Korangi. MR. & MRS. MUKATY INAUGURATE RENOVATED PHYSIOTHERAPY AND SHOE DEPARTMENT Mr. & Mrs. Mukaty, along with their sons, inaugurated the renovated and upgraded Physiotherapy and Shoe Department at MALC. The Mukaty family acknowledged the need to provide facilities for the deprived, especially persons with disabilities (PwDs), and sought to help with their contribution towards this cause. MALC recently organized a free skin camp at Malir Jail in Karachi. A medical team of 5 doctors, along with our field staff, under the guidance of Dr. Ruth Pfau, M.D., D.Sc., NQA, (Founding Member, MALC) and Dr. Manzoor Memon (Skin Specialist) treated the jail inmates for skin diseases. Our special thanks go out to ATCO Laboratories and Valor Pharmaceuticals for donating medicines. CEREMONY FOR WINNERS OF MATCHBOX COMPETITION 2014 HELD AT MALC Mr. Leonard Dias, Principal St. Paul s High School, Mr. George Noronha, Incharge (Primary Section) St. Patrick s High School and Mr. Vincent Thomas, Principal St. Lawrence s Boys School, accompanied by the students who achieved the highest points in the Matchbox Competition (MBC), were invited to the MALC Head Office to celebrate the successful completion of the MBC 2014. Individual ceremonies were held at the respective schools, by MALC, separately. Zhob, Balochistan Qilla Saifullah, Balochistan MALC CONDUCTS FREE EYE SURGICAL CAMP IN ZHOB & QILLA SAIFULLAH With the support of Haji Ismail Fudda Memorial Trust and an anonymous donor, MALC has conducted 2 separate Eye Camps in Balochistan. In camps held in both districts, a total of nearly 3,400 patients were treated FREE OF COST, including 330 cataract surgeries conducted. 8 MOU SIGNING CEREMONY BETWEEN SSGC AND MALC FOR ADOPTION OF MIRPURKHAS TM CENTRE AND GWADAR EYE CARE CLINIC A formal ceremony to ink the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between MALC and SSGC was held at the SSGC Head office on 9 th June 2015. Dr. Ali Murtaza (Director, Training and Community Development - MALC) was present on the occasion to sign the MoU s, on behalf of MALC, for the adoption of MALC s Mirpurkhas TM Centre and Gwadar Eye Care Clinic. Mr. Khalid Rehman (Managing Director, SSGC) signed on behalf of SSGC, to complete the formalities. Both centres have been adopted for 4 years, beginning in July 2014 and running until June 2018.