By Hina Kiyani
ISLAMABAD: As part of the Rs. one billion Hussain Dawood Pledge, Engro Foundation – the social investment arm of Engro Corporation has committed financial assistance to Patients’ Aid Foundation, JPMC, for the procurement of 14000 medical-grade scrubs to protect medical staff against the rising incidence of COVID-19 in Karachi.
According to Sindh Health Department figures, the COVID-19 positivity rate in Karachi has climbed significantly in recent weeks and reached double-digit figures, causing a surge in the number of hospitalizations in medical facilities. Under the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), the Patients’ Aid Foundation will utilize the 14000 medical scrubs for the JPMC medical staff, which remain highly exposed to the infectious Omicron variant of COVID-19.
Under the Hussain Dawood Pledge, Rs 498 million have already been allocated to different initiatives across Pakistan. Earlier, Engro Foundation had collaborated with the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and provincial governments to donate 459,000 units of personal protective equipment (PPE) worth Rs. 100 million for frontline healthcare practitioners.
According to Ghias Khan, President, and CEO of Engro Corporation and Trustee of Engro Foundation, “With an alarming increase in COVID-19 cases during this fifth wave, it is imperative that our healthcare practitioners and other key frontline staff feel safe and well-equipped to perform their duties in the best possible manner. We hope that our humble contribution towards this cause will help protect our frontline heroes and prevent the spread of COVID-19.”
Speaking on the occasion, Ahsan Zafar Syed – CEO of Engro Energy, said that “Currently, Karachi is witnessing one of the highest numbers of Omicron cases in Pakistan.
Therefore, we feel that it is our duty to help frontline health workers and medical staff as much as possible. We are pleased to partner with JPMC for this initiative as it is one of the country’s largest and most respected hospitals, offering services not only to the people of Karachi but also other far-flung areas of Pakistan.”
Dr. Tariq Mahmood, Executive Director at JPMC, said, “Our healthcare workers are at high risk of being infected with the Omicron variant. We are thankful to Engro for recognizing the urgent need to protect and enable the medical staff so that they can effectively serve the patients.”
In April 2020, Hussain Dawood, on behalf of Engro Corporation, Dawood Hercules Corporation pledged a contribution in services, kind, and cash of Rs 1 billion to support COVID-19 relief efforts on multiple fronts. The pledge focuses on disease prevention, protecting and enabling healthcare practitioners and frontline workers, enabling patient care and facilities, and bolstering livelihoods and sustenance of the most deserving in society.
