Blog: Plan International and Ufone to provide relief to Thalassemia patients

Plan International and Ufone collaborate to provide relief to Thalassemia patients in Vehari District, In continuation to the health initiatives, Ufone, one of the leading telecom companies and a responsible corporate company of Pakistan, has partnered with Plan International for the establishment of a Thalassemia center at the District Headquarters hospital, Vehari.

Ufone has been very keen on fulfilling its social responsibilities and believes in giving back to the society. Ufone has recently donated a considerable sum to The Kidney Center in Karachi which will help in the expansion of the already existing facility. Ufone, under its child health care banner, has revamped the PAEDS ward at Polyclinic Islamabad and gave the facility a major facelift which is now comparable to any private hospital in the country.

Plan International is a development organization established in 1937, working for lasting improvements in children’s lives in over 66 countries. Plan aims to achieve lasting improvements in the quality of life of deprived children in developing countries, through a process that unites people across cultures and adds meaning and value to their lives. Plan is registered with the United Nations since 1989 and has consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council and UNICEF.

Ufone will be providing medical supplies & equipment required for treating the thalassemia patients in the upcoming facility and Plan International along with the district headquarter Vehari will be facilitating in the effective implementation of the project. Vehari is one of the five poorest districts of Punjab with a population density of 2.4 million. Vehari has an estimated 10,000 people afflicted with thalassemia and there is an urgent need for a treatment facility in the district as there is a constant requirement of screened and healthy blood and due to repeated transfusions iron gets accumulated in the body and for its removal iron cheaters are required.

Abdul Aziz, CEO Ufone, expressed great pride at being a part of this initiative and proclaimed that Ufone’s goal is to achieve a strengthened health sector and responsive governance to ensure that the citizens of the country are provided with basic healthcare. He also mentioned the various benefits of establishing the facility in Vehari where the number of thalassemia patients is very high. He encouraged the people of Pakistan to come together and join hands to work towards the eradication of disease and illness from the society.

Haider Yaqub, Country Director, Plan International Pakistan said,

"The establishment of the Thalassemia Centre, in partnership with the UFONE GSM, will give the children of the area the opportunity to get the kind of health care they critically need. Plan is actively engaged in promoting adolescent, women and children’s health and is especially proud of this initiative that will help save many lives."