Karachi: As part of the PKR 1 billion Hussain Dawood Pledge, Engro Fertilizers (a subsidiary of Engro Corporation) has committed to provide PKR 95 million in financial assistance to The Indus Hospital to expand COVID-19 testing capacity across Sindh and strengthen the health sector to cope with the ongoing pandemic.
Under the “Sindh Screening Program – Free of Cost” campaign, Engro Fertilizers will sponsor The Indus Hospital Network to launch testing interventions across rural Sindh. To ensure maximum coverage of the rural population, the testing campaign will be deployed in Larkana, Nawabshah, Jamshoro, Sukkur, Tharparkar and Badin, which have seen a gradual increase in the number of cases over the past weeks.
According to Ghias Khan – President & CEO of Engro Corporation, “This partnership is geared to meet the priority of improving COVID-19 testing rates in Pakistan, based on the principle of inclusion and healthcare access for all. According to National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC), around 58 per cent of Pakistan’s total coronavirus cases are now locally transmitted, hence, there is a real need for concerted focus on testing and isolation to control the spread of COVID-19. We look forward to continued collaboration with the Government and expanding this program with reputable implementation partners to other parts of Pakistan as well”.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Abdul Bari Khan – CEO of Indus Hospital, said that, “We are pleased to join Engro as an implementation partner to improve COVID-19 testing rates in Pakistan. To deal with this pandemic, it is critical that coronavirus cases are detected early and the patients are isolated to prevent transmission of the virus”.
Nadir Qureshi – CEO of Engro Fertilizers added that, “Engro Fertilizers is committed to support Pakistan’s fight against COVID-19, the most pressing issue faced by the country today. Currently, Pakistan has one of the lowest per capita testing rates in the world, which could impact the efforts to contain the virus. This collaboration with Indus Hospital will enhance the outreach of testing facilities across key clusters in Sindh and InshAllah help fight this pandemic more effectively”.
Under the PKR 1 billion pledge made by Chairman Engro Corporation Hussain Dawood and Dawood Hercules Corporation, COVID-19 relief efforts will be supported in services, kind and cash on multiple fronts, including:
disease prevention, with a major focus on testing and diagnostics;
protecting and enabling healthcare practitioners and other key workers, who are at the frontline of the fight against this pandemic;
enabling patient care and facilities; and,
bolstering livelihoods and sustenance of the most deserving in society.