Employees and students of AKU donate PKR 5 million for flood relief

KARACHI: The faculty, staff, and students of Aga Khan University (AKU) have contributed PKR five million to the relief efforts in flood-affected regions.

Since last week, the University's 13 healthcare camps and mobile units have offered care to over 10,000 individuals in Matiari, Thatta, Dadu, Badin, Qambar Shahdadkot, Sanghar, Naushahro Feroze, Lasbella, Qila Abdullah, and Jafferabad.

When the water recedes, Pakistan may confront additional obstacles, such as the spread of illnesses that have already begun, and our fellow residents may require our support for months. 

In his note of appreciation to the University community for their generous contributions and to the healthcare and mobile unit teams for their efforts in providing care in the affected areas, Dr Sulaiman Shahabuddin remarked that the funds raised by the AKU community and supporters would not only allow their teams to continue existing operations but also to plan for additional camps in the coming weeks.

"Whether it is a pandemic like COVID, an epidemic like typhoid and HIV, or a climatic disaster like these floods, as a national asset, AKU is always at the forefront when the nation requires its services," He added.

The AKU flood response task force, led by Dr Adil Haider, Dean of the AKU Medical College, and Dr Shahid Shafi, Chief Executive Officer of the Aga Khan University Hospital, is collaborating with the federal and provincial governments, local authorities, and partners, including the Aga Khan Health Services, to mobilise medical experts and resources from the University's campuses and hospitals.

As the task group investigates alternatives for providing public health professionals with specialised training on water-borne and vector-borne illnesses, a free flood disaster treatment MasterClass certificate course is being organised for healthcare workers around the nation.