Who We Are & What We do?
VISION
The organization aims to increase the number of healthy individuals in the society and to decrease the human suffering from Pakistan and particularly from KP , as much as possible under the limited resources, so that the healthy individual can play a vital role in the society for the development of the nation.
MISSION
Our mission is “to serve the poor , deserving and underprivileged ailing humanity by saving the greatest number of children’s lives, especially the precious lives of Thalassemia Major and Hemophilia patients and other poor people of the society who need healthy Screened Blood/Products (FFP, Platelets) during any emergency, Free of cost. We are accomplishing this through our unique network of health professionals and organizations is committed to improving health policies and practices. We operate as an independent agent of change, seeking and promoting more effective, easily delivered and less-expensive methods to prevent illness and death of children and supporting their precious lives. We are focusing on prevention/controlling of the above mentioned genetic diseases i.e Thalassaemia and Hemophilia and treatment of blood related diseases, which debilitate and kill millions of precious lives of infants and children every year all over the World and especially in Pakistan. According to a authentic survey , in Pakistan 6 to 8 Thousand new Thalassaemia Major kids born every year.
Summary of Hamza Foundation Welfare Hospital
Hamza Foundation ( Thalassemia , Hemophilia Welfare Hospital & Blood Transfusion Services ) is a registered Charitable non-profitable , non-Political organization ,which is serving the poor and underprivileged patients, in the sphere of public health since 2006 in Peshawar , Khyber Pakhtunkhwa – (Pakistan). The Organization has been registered with Directorate of Social Welfare ( Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), while its humanitarian life saving services have been certified & recognized by the Health Care Commission (HCC) , Health Department -Government of K.P and BTA (Blood Transfusion Authority- Government of KP). It is worth mentioning that the Organization has been exempted from Income Tax (under section 2(36) of Income Tax Ordinance ,FBR- Government of Pakistan , as Non–Profitable, Non–political Charitable organization .
Hamza Foundation , since its inception in 2006, has focused its priority to work on genetic blood disorders like Thalassemia and Hemophilia , on account of realizing the presence of a large number of effected children & suffered carrier poor families of Thalassaemia, Hemophilia in various far flung and under privileged areas of the province of K.P. It is to be noted that the blood disorders patients ( Thalassemia major & Hemophilia ) of the community have no blood transfusion facilities available in the Major Government Hospitals of KP nor having single ward for them. Even in sphere of research & control/Prevention of Thalassemia, Hemophilia ,nor any concrete steps & measurements have been taken by the health sector for the immediate prevention of these diseases .Therefore which being resulted in the multiplication of this problem & we often noticed the continued birth of newly affected infants of Thalassaemia Major and Hemophilia patients, especially due to cousin marriages in Pashtoon community of KPK . Therefore HF is making efforts for the prevention of Thalassaemia Disease and Our Medical team , is counseling with the Thalassaemia affected families for the CVS test during their pregnancy within 120 days of their pregnancy. CVS test is conducting by expert Maj Gen DR. Sohaib Ahmed, Rawalpindi.
Objectives & Mission Statement of Hamza Foundation:
* To serve the under privileged ailing humanity irrespective of any creed, color & caste. To help , support & save the lives of affected Genetic Blood Disorders patients like Thalassemia Major & Hemophilia (children ) through provision of Standard Protocol Treatment , by applying all the best treatment practices and free of cost .
* To work for the relief & support of suffered patients , parents & to serve for the betterment of effected Thalassemia & Hemophilia children ‘s good health, in order to make them a healthy individual member of the society besides empowering them to be able to sustain themselves to get education , learn skills for a good livelihood in order to serve their family & can play a vital role for the development of the nation .Right to enjoy the colors of life, like other healthy kids .
* To work for advocacy, awareness , prevention & control of Thalassemia & Hemophilia disease through counseling by the expert Medical team/ Psychologist and Resource Mobilization officers of Hamza Foundation .
Beside its registered patients, Hamza Foundation is also providing fully screened Blood/Products ( Fresh Frozen Plasma, Platelets),Screened by Computerized Elisa method for Hepatitis “B”, Hepatitis “C”, HIV/AIDS, Malaria Parasite( MP) and VDRL ( Syphilis) according to WHO recommendation for safe blood transfusion-SBT , to patients of different major Government Hospitals ( LRH,KTH,IRNUM,KIDNEY Hospital etc) and Private Hospitals ( RMI, Kalsoom Maternity Home, Dr. Abid Sohail Hospital, Fauji Foundation Hospital etc) during any emergency and round the clock.
* To promote the concept of Voluntary & healthy Blood Donation among the targeted masses (healthy youths) through continuous blood donation campaigns and by arranging different blood collection camps at different educational institutions in order to serve the cause of needy one and for saving their precious lives.
* To engage philanthropists, corporate as well as Government & non Government agencies , institutions for continuous financial Donations, Zakat, sadqaat , Qurbani hides/skins, financial Grants & funds (cash & in kind) to support the charitable services’ cost of the organization , being extended to assist such helpless and poor patients .
Background:
Thalassemia major – one of the major hereditary genetic blood disorder in children , in which a newly born baby is being effected by deficiency of Red blood Cell (RBC).
Thalassemia major occurs when a child inherits two mutated genes, one from each parent. Children born with thalassemia major usually develop the symptoms of severe anemia within the first year of life. They lack the ability to produce normal, adult hemoglobin and experience chronic fatigue. They may also fail to thrive.
Two major consequences of the genetic defect of thalassemia are severe anemia and expansion of the bone marrow in the body’s effort to produce more red blood cells. This leads to poor growth, impaired physical activities, facial and other bone deformities, fragile bones and enlargement of the liver and spleen. If left untreated, it will lead to death within the first decade of life. The only treatment to combat severe anemia is regular blood transfusion & iron chelation therapy” . And thus they can live a normal life.
Such an effected Thalassemia baby as stated above, is entirely dependent on the frequent Blood transfusion besides Iron Chelation therapy for the rest of life .
According to Thalassemia International Federation (TIF) , Pakistan has the highest incidence of birth rate of effected Thalassemia babies & highest death rate of Thalassemia children( I,e, Morbidity & Mortality). The large number of our population are being highly reported traits with Minor Thalassemia carrier.
Our Province Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (K.P.), like the rest of other Provinces of Pakistan ,has already been ,greatly affected by presence of large number of Thalassemia major children, estimated over 15000 (diagnosed). So, Thalassemia major ,is regarded as one of the most important health problems facing by thousands of affected families & their affected children. To deny the required treatment to Thalassemia children at infant age , ultimately resulted the death to the baby. Low level of literacy rate, high rate of birth & population, multiplication of other fatal disease .
Unfortunately , Thalassemia had been in non priority list of all the Government unlike the rest of the world ,where by joint efforts we can make our society free from Thalassaemia disease as like many fatal diseases, i.e chicken pox. Malaria , T.B., Polio ,etc which has been prevented & made treatable .
Hamza Foundation as a trend setter in services has taken the gigantic task to take the responsibility as one of the pioneer charitable organizations in the Province to offered its high professional services through provision of standard protocol services (within limited , meager resources) to redress the problems of thousands of suffered families & living affected Thalassemia major and Hemophilia patients in respect of health care management of affected children of Thalssemia major & their parents.
Contribution & Services at a glance:
Hamza Foundation , is being serving & so for has contributed in the following sphere :
*. Prevention & awareness of Thalassemia, Hemophilia diseases, through continuous engagement with all stake holders like patients parents , associations & Government functionaries for controlling of both these diseases. Through participated in national and international & local Seminars, training workshops on Thalassemia, Hemophilia diseases , the organization is contributing its significant part for creating awareness among the community about these diseases, through its prevention and controlling to make Thalassaemia free society. Beside this the organization is regularly observing all International Days of Thalassemia (8TH May ), 17TH April Hemophilia Day & 14TH June as World Blood Donor Day and 28th July as World Hepatitis Day.
* Management & care services to existing (registered patients) to nearly 1129 affected Thalassemia Major Children & 117 Hemophilia patients (Through providing Free Screened Blood (Packed Cells & Blood Products-FFP/Platelets)
Transfusion Services on daily regular basis to the needy ones in the Foundation Hospital under professional qualified Medical staff. Daily average of patients is about 45-50 needy patients of Thalassemia, Hemophilia & Leukemia patients are being served regularly through provision of screened blood & blood products in Hamza Foundation besides serving both patients & parents with free lunch (Food) on daily basis.
For reference till 30th April, 2021 latest , over 141199 number of Blood Bags(pints) & blood products like Platelets , F.F.P, C.P., have been provided to 1306 needy ones( including 1129 Thalassemia Major registered ,117 Hemophilia patients & 60 Blood Cancer Patients) including 38331 needy patients of Government & private hospitals of KPK .
* Through initiation of Thalassaemia Control & Prevention Project , Medical team under expert supervision of Maj Gen (Rtd) Dr.Sohaib Ahmed- Rawlpindi , Prof. Dr. Saqib Hussain Ansari NIBD-Karachi, Dr. Tariq Khan ( Medical Director- HF) of HF has assisted and counseled over 318 pregnant Thalassemia mothers through CVS test (services to prevent new born affected Thalssemia babies) and have deducted 94 babies as Thalassaemia Major. It is worth mentioning that These 318 families have already one child of Thalassaemia Major patient in their family. In fact its an excellent work and dedicated efforts of the medical team of HF to prevent the Thalassaemia disease and decreases the burden of the disease on the society.
* Regular Provision of Iron Chelation Therapy
to the needy Thalssemia major children in the form of latest research based standard medicines (like Tablet Asunra, deferoproxe ,Inj. Desferal etc) .,
* Introduced research based Medicines(Hydra), under expert supervision and after 10 years medical research of prominent hematologist of Pakistan Prof. Dr.Saqib Hussain Ansari NIBD – Karachi ,therapy of Hydra medicine provided to about 70 Thalssemia major patients by Dr. Tariq Khan ( Medical Director-HF) to able them as Non Depended Blood Transfusion patients (since 2015). Alhamdulilah 58 patients are now transfusion free since 5 years.
Mass awareness & mobilization of Voluntary Blood Donation campaigns in Colleges & universities for motivation of blood donation & registering of volunteer donors (healthy youths) and for the Safe Blood Transfusion in order to serve the cause of needy Thalassemia & other patients. It is worth mentioning that so for over 123059 volunteer blood donors have been registered & these have been documented in organization record( till April, 2021 latest).
* Blood Grouping & Blood Screening : So for over 123059 volunteer blood donors have been freely screened by Elisa computerized method for Hepatitis B, HCV , HIV/AIDS, VDRL, M,P, along with blood group , through organization computerized diagnostic laboratory services since 2006.
* Mass mobilization through Media: Hamza Foundation has conducted over a dozen successful T.V., live awareness and funds collection shows on PTV , Khyber T.V. , Geo TV, DAWN TV etc and also on print media for mass awareness about Thalassemia – Hemophilia diseases and its prevention, besides generating public funds & donations. Besides ,HF regularly held press talk shows on both of the diseases . In this regard , the organization contributed greatly to engage public & other stalk holders for sensitization & their involvement for shouldering the humanitarian cause of Hamza Foundation Welfare Services.
BASE LINE DATA:
Thalassaemia Major affected patients (children) are being found all most in every country. Our country Pakistan has no exception. There is a large number of such patients have been identified in every Province & in various areas. Though there is no specific survey or data about Thalassemia patients & carrier has been carried out by the Government level . However few baseline studies & surveys have been conducted by few qualified professional doctors & researchers besides, Thalassemia Federation of Pakistan www,tfp.org.pk . Major General ® Dr. Suhaib Ahmad (PhD, ex– Hematologist & Head of Pathology Department of Armed Forces Institute of Pathology- AFIP Rawalpindi) , has specifically documented a very comprehensive Thalassemia Research Data of Pakistan . We can find the number of carrier & number of Thalassemia”s birth Ratio in various races of Pakistan. Link for visit : http://discover.ucl.ac.uk/1317916/1/299931.pdf , (suhaib955@hotmail.com).
Justification & Rationale: . Unfortunately the indigent parents of Thalassemia patients cannot afford the life-long costly treatment of the disease, as 98 per cent patients are being belonged to extremely poor family & underprivileged community.
This is the time to think over the problem seriously and join hands to make a Thalassaemia free society, the responsibility comes to all the three units of the society, the NGOs, the Government and the Community . Through joining all hands together for this national cause & work properly which can lessen the number of Thalassaemia patients from Khyber Pukhtoonkhawa particularly & rest of Pakistan, as there is no single task that can be accomplished by the Government or public or private sector lonely. There are several reasons of this high ratio of the disease in our region:,
- Lack of ignorance & low rate of literacy/education among the people particularly living in rural and far flung areas of KP,
- Thalassemia disease hasn’t been noticed seriously or taken on priority list of diseases , ever by any Government or Health Department since the creation of Pakistan,
- No special ward or standard protocol treatment has been extended to Thalassemia patients in Government. hospitals both at central & provincial level.
- Lack of Political Commitment about Thalassemia disease & Genetic Blood Disorders,
- No comprehensive research work done by the Government concerned planning or health Departments ever reported with exception of Major General Rtd Dr. Suhaib Ahmad ( ex –Hematologist AFIP ,Rawalpindi
- Most importantly ,no comprehensive work or legislation on preventive side besides Mass Awareness about Thalassemia have done seriously by the Government which resulted the continue birth of newly born Thalassemia Major babies in Pakistan,
- On account of non availability of any basic standard treatment protocol & comprehensive Counseling to Thalassemia carrier parents , high ratio of both Morbidity & Mortality in Thalassemia are used to be resulted in Pakistan ,as being reported also by Thalassemia International Federation (TIF) Nicosia- Cyprus.
In view of the above given factual scenario about the magnitude of problems related to Thalassemia disease & facility to affected Thalassemia children , Hamza Foundation Peshawar as one of the trusted pioneer charitable organization , has taken the initiative to shoulder the gigantic responsibility to help & support both affected Thalassemia parents & patients since the inception of the organization in 2006.
Through extended to present registered over 1100 deserved Thalassemia children (in respect of fulfilling their regular Blood requirement & Iron Chelation Medicine along with comprehensive prevention control services ), Hamza Foundation , so for , has been proved successful to control the untimely death of these children & been succeeded to minimize the birth rate of newly born affected Thalassemia babies . Through continue Advocacy & awareness, the provincial Government has taken recommendations of Hamza Foundation in respect of Thalassemia prevention & control, through drafting Thalassemia Control Legislation Bill ,which will soon be implemented as Law in the province.
For the achievement of its vision & goal ( a Thalassemia –Hemophilia free society) , Hamza Foundation has firmly committed to work with its full institutional capacity & potential to get the desirable result for the greater benefit of the effected patients & ailing humanity.
ONLY WITH YOUR HELP AND SUPPORT
HF WILL BE ABLE TO MAKE A THALASSAEMIA FREE PAKISTAN
Our goal is to create awareness about Thalassemia, the most common single gene disorder worldwide, to aid the prevention of its occurrence among high-risk communities, and to help advance medical research dedicated towards finding an effective cure and safe treatment of this illness.
FOUNDER / CHAIRMAIN
Mr. Ijaz Ali Khan is the Founder-Chairman of Hamza Foundation. He is also the Executive Member of Thalassemia Federation of Pakistan TFP-Lahore, Member of Thalassaemia International Federation-TIF- Cyprus, Member – International Alliance of Patients Organizations – IAPO-UK. He is an experienced and devoted Social Worker working with full concentration side by side with other team members for the betterment of community specially in the field of health. Mr, Ijaz Ali Khan has the honoured to attend different National and International conferences/Seminars about Thalassaemia and Health care at Singapore,Dubai, UK, France, South Korea, Turkey,Malaysia and Cyprus.
We have an experience managerial team including the masters of business, NGO Management, Health Management, and M.Coms.
OUR TEAM
We have a team of highly experienced, professional medics, councilors, psychologists and vocational trainers
who have proven techniques to help you rebuild your life.
GENETIC COUNSELING
Prevention of Thalassemia disease.
“HAMZA FOUNDATION” performs the genetic counselling with the family on the arrival of new patients. as the family faces the trauma while knowing about the disease.
MEDICAL STAFF
Hamza Foundation Welfare Hospital has got a sincere and hard working dedicated team of 38(full time) members. We also disseminates the information through conferences seminars, workshops, leaflets, lectures to the target audience at different areas of Khyber Pakhtun Khawa .