Fatimid Foundation Lahore

How it all Began:

The journey that began in a small room on the pavement of Britto Road, Karachi, Pakistan has gradually blossomed into the largest voluntary health care and blood transfusion service providing thousands of bags of healthy fully screened blood and blood products each month to its thousands of patients (majority of whom are children) suffering from dreadful blood disorders i.e. thalassaemia, hemophilia and other blood disorders.

Today Fatimid centers are located in Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar, Multan, Quetta and Hyderabad. Plans are under way to open new centers in other cities in Pakistan.

Why it came into Existence:

The absence of an adequate, effective, safe-free of charge National Blood Transfusion Services is an important health-system problem that Pakistan faces today. The requirement of blood transfusion for potentially preventable maternal morbidity and mortality is quite high in Pakistan. Creation of Blood-intensive specialist Centers for Cancer surgery, Chemotherapy, Radiotherapy, Renal Dialysis, Renal transplantation, Cardiovascular by-pass surgery, Thalassaemia, Hemophilia, Leukemia etc, have all led to an even greater need for blood and blood products.

It is estimated that, Pakistan requires around 8,000+ units of blood everyday, while the transfusion needs outstrip the current availability of blood. The collection and supply of safe blood is further reduced with the fairly high prevalence rate of Hepatitis B & C viruses found amongst the potential blood donors. Although systematic surveys have not been carried out in all areas of the country, it is estimated that around ten million suffer from the viruses of Hepatitis B and C. The danger of spreading HIV infections, even in low-incidence country like Pakistan further complicates the situation.

Transmission of HIV and Hepatitis infections through blood and blood products therefore, demands adequate supply of UN-infected 'Safe Blood' for the transfusions. Fatimid Foundation feels proud in proclaiming that all the Centers of Fatimid are equipped with the latest blood screening system being operated with high quality blood screening kits. The patients of Fatimid (a great majority of them are children) may be ignorant, poor and needy but they must receive the safest quality of blood. That is certainly the way, the new Management of Fatimid thinks.

Fatimid Foundation, a non-profit organization is the pioneer of voluntary blood transfusion services in Pakistan. Even in terms of quantitative output of blood and blood products, Fatimid Foundation is the leader of the fraternity of blood transfusion services in Pakistan.

Providing of specialized services for patients with blood disorders at a blood transfusion service center is a rare phenomenon in Pakistan. Fatimid Foundation today, through its Centers in Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar and Multan, transfuses around 7,000 bags of healthy screened blood and blood products every month to its registered patients suffering from chronic and painful blood disorders.

Establishment:

Fatimid Foundation was established as a Non Profit Organization by late Mr. Nazim Jiwa in 1978 in Karachi. The major aim of establishing this Organization was to provide cost free blood/blood components to patients suffering from various chronic blood disorders requiring blood/blood component therapy as an essential part of their treatment.

With the passage of time, the Organization has grown in stature to "National" level with the opening of treatment Centers at Lahore, Peshawer, Multan and Quetta in addition to Karachi Center which also serves as Head Quarters of Fatimid Foundation. Plans are underway to open up new Centers in the country.

Fatimid Foundation was established under a "trust deed" first registered in Karachi and subsequently reinstated.

The trust deed vests powers to a "Board of Trustees" (BOT) to run the affairs of the foundation.

The trust deed vests powers to a "Board of Trustees" (BOT) to run the affairs of the foundation. The members of the Board of Trustees, elects a Chairman. Lt. Gen (Retired) Moinuddin Haider was elected by the Board of Trustees as their new Chairman. The Board of Trustees in turn elects a Chief Operating Officers and who is also the Secretary of the Trust and run the day to day affairs of the Foundation in line with the Policy set by the Board of Trustees and in accordance and the laws of the Trust Deed. Dr. Waleed Bin Azhar has been appointed by the Board as their Chief Operating Officer and Secretary of the Trust.