How you can help the flood victims

GWHI Flood Appeal

 

 As you know the floods have wreaked havoc in the country, killing 2000 and displacing 20 million individuals to date. 1/5 of the country is submerged underwater and 3.5 million children are at high risk of deadly waterborne diseases. Relief operations have yet to reach an estimated 6 million people. The affected have no roof over their heads, their belongings have been swept away and there is an acute shortage of food and medicines.

 GWHI FLOOD RELIEF AID AND MEDICAL CAMP , Sultan Chowk

To all of those who contributed in time , kind or money ! 

Thank you for the generous help for the flood relief and Allah SWT will inshAllah bless you for this.

The medicines were donated largely by AL RAZI HEALTHCARE  and by a donation arranged by 4thyear SIMS medical students

We went to Sultan Colony , an area nearly 28 kms away from Muzaffargarh and has the main army flood relief camp. We had by the grace of Allah Almighty, stuff worth nearly 1.8 million rupees, including 125 tents , 350 food hampers [enough for a week for a family of 8], medicines worth nearly 6 lacs ,600 ladies’ dresses , 400 men’s clothes and 500 kids’ apparel, toys ,shoes and household items .

For the supplies I am eternally grateful to my family, friends and most importantly my patients who responded to the call immediateky and genrously .We raised a total of 1.8 million in less than a week !!!!

A big thank you to all of you, Mrs Nina Akber,The Pirachas, Mr Khalid Shams,The Shiekhs, Ayesha, Mr Khan , Mehwish, Sadia, Col Naeemullah , Mohsin Bhai , Mr Yunus Ratra, Huma Shehzad,Hina Rana,Tina Aqil, Sania AbuBakr, Master Abu Bakr,Mrs Farooq,Tehmina Raja , Tehmina Frooq, Huma, Arooj, Irfan Cheema, Hamood, Zain, Salman , Raja and many more

Our team consisted of doctors, medical students and volunteers [inclusive ofMr Khalid Shams,Dr Zakir, Usman Zakir , Dr Hamayun, Zeeshan , Atif , Zain, my children Abdullah , Saadullah and Zafarullah and Faisal and Usama from AlRazi]. We left Lahore at around midnight on 21 and arrived at the camp at 8 am .We had the army escort , from Multan onwards.

There were 1176 families in the camp, with an average family size of 8 to 9. All totally destitute, having nothing but the make shift army tents .The army has been supplying twice daily meals and emergency medical care too.The role of Pakistan army in this great tragedy has beeen amazing!

Through the day we saw over 900 patients of which 400 were women .All women and children were in a terrible state, dehydrated and underweight. Loads of skin infection, diarrhea, and fever and eye problems .All were given a complete course of good quality medication that we had.

The camp in charge Major Nauman told me today that 125 families have gone back to their villages with the tents and food hampers provided by us.

We are planning to go again inshAllah on 4th September and they need us to bring medicines, clothes and most importantly tents; as the people need to and do want to go back to their own houses; which sadly do not exist anymore. Those people might live in these tents for an average of 18 to 24 months.

 

I would again request you to help us in this noble cause and would also request you to use to use your and your family’s contacts and influence to help us continue and expand this effort. May be you can ask friends and colleagues to plunge in too.

 This is a call for you to help and donate as much as you can. We require financial (please refer to the ‘Contact Us’ section for bank account details) as well as material donations of goods which are desperately needed by our brothers and sisters. This difficult time is a test of our unity and strength.

 Please join us in getting the supplies moving. Spare every single rupee that you can and look through your closets – your used garments and spare clothes could mean a lot to those who have nothing at all.

DR Noreen Zafar

 Here follows a list of the items the flood victims require urgently and in abundance:

 ESSENTIAL ITEMS LIST
 

 Immediate priorities for survivors are TENTS ,  clean drinking water, food and medical assistance. Here is a list of items you can provide if you are in Pakistan. Please do not donate old/expired stuff. Make sure edible items are hygienic and properly packed.

 Clothing: Clothes of various sizes, Beddings, Shoes

> *Matchsticks 

> * Utensils: Jerricans (large plastic cans that hold 20 liters of water or other liquids),

> * Crockery, Buckets

> * Toiletries: Tissues, Soaps, Dettol (antibacterial cleaners), Towels

> * Dried milk for children and families

> * High nutrition biscuits

> * Dates

> * Food packets (tea, sugar, milk powder, vegetable oil, pulses, spices)

> * Mineral water

> * Water coolers

> * Cooking utensils

> * Footware for children

> * Mosquito nets

> * Blankets

> * Bedspreads

> * Floor matresses

> * Soap

> * Hand towels

> * Tooth paste

> * Female sanitary pads

> * Diapers

> * Washing power and soap

> * ORS

> * Mosquito repellents

> * Prickly heat powder

> * Children anti-rash creams

> * Water purification tablets

> * Candles and match boxes

> * Flashlights, Lanterns and Generators (5 kVA and above)

MEDICINES

> 1. Water purification tablets.

> 2. Life saving drugs, medicines for scabies

> 3. Vaccines

> 4. Pain killers including strong ones like morphine derivatives, tremadol, pethadine, kinz, panadol, brufen, voren, synflex

> 5. Antibiotics e.g. amoxil, gentamycin.

> 6. IV cannulas- most common are 18, 22, 24 – Butterfly cannulas: [for children]
> 7. IV Drip sets

> 8. IV drips: normal saline, ringerlactate, haemacelle

> 9. Local anesthetics (injections)

> 10. Cotton bandages, cotton.

> 11. Surgical instruments: e.g needle holders, forceps, tweezers, surgical tapes

> 12. Suturing materials, Skin staples, absorbing and non-absorbing: catgut sutures, vicryl, proline

> 13. Bandages: crepe

> 14. Guaze pads

> 15. Saniplasts

> 16. Folleys catheter and urine bags

> 17. Cotton

> 18. Surgical blades

> 19. Iv pain killers: diclofenac

> 20. Pyodene solutions

> 21.  Cough syrups

> 22.  Sedatives: xanax, sossegon

> 23. Antibiotics: again oral, IV and topical: most common are augmentin, ciprofloxacin, ceftriaxone, zinacef,clafron, penicillin G, ampliclox, oral or IV flagyl syrup, cefspan

> 24. Vaccines: inj TT/ inj ATS

 Please email                  gwhi.staff@gmail.com 

                                    noreen_zf@hotmail.com

or ring         03008460202  Dr Noreen Zafar

                   03218874562   Mohammad Abdullah  Zafar 
                   03214821056   Zain ul Abideen Sohail 
                   03068460202  Mohammad Saadullah Khan 

                   03074317145   Mohammad Zafarullah Khan

The Precious Gem

Only my mother knows how beautiful I am.

She is the one who should be treated like a Queen.

I see her smiling at me whenever she looks at me.

I see her praying for me, whenever she prostrates.

I see her crying for me, whenever I’m in distress.

I see her as a wall whenever I need a support.

I see her talk to me when I’m all alone.

I see her as the only one who loves me unconditionally

She’s there for me when everyone turns their back on me,

She guides me when she sees that I have fallen.

She picks me up when I’m downtrodden.

She’s like the light of my heart, the coolness of my eyes.

When I don’t see her I feel depressed,

When I hug her I feel all blessed.

[What important role does your mother or guardian play in your life? Please email us at gwhi.staff@gmail.com; we would love to have your ideass posted on our blog]

Everyday is a girls and womans day

In Feb, GWHI had a camp in Sheikapura.

As I stood near the medicine station, a little pretty green eyed girl approached me. She was about 10, wearing not so clean shalwar kameez, and she was donned in a big brown chador. Isha had some coins in her hand, and she asked me where she could get a parchee;

I was surprised at her asking me for a slip because the medical camp was free, and because I had seen a hundred women already and none of then came to me with four RS 2 coins to get a slip made. I felt intense love for her right then and there. I had never known her, I didn’t even know if she had a mother to care for her; Isha said that she was suffering from severe back pains and couldn’t sit properly at times.

 

 I thought of my ten year old cousin then, my cousin whose only back pains which were of course transient and were caused by her large  Hannah Montana school bag; my cousin when she didn’t like the food that was cooked at home, had the privilege of eating out or ordering food that was just a call away; my cousin who never had to work at home, who slept whenever she wanted, played whenever she wanted, watched TV whenever she wanted; my cousin who wore clean clothes-which were nicely ironed; who had a mother to care for her when she was ill and a father to get her whatever she wanted and whenever she wanted it. My cousin who went on summer trips with her parents, who had an account on Facebook….

 

All of this was hard to digest. Reason being, we live in a bubble. Our world extends from our households to the salons for regular manicures, our designer bags and shoes, the Indian soaps we watch on TV, the trips we make abroad and the restaurants we visit sometimes almost everyday. We want the best for our children when they graduate; we want them to apply to Universities abroad. We want our children to become successful doctors, lawyers, accountants, engineers and what not and what follows is a cycle- our children doing the same with our grandchildren and in this rat race we forget who we are what we were here for.

 

The best of people is the one who is the best to mankind. Are we living up to that standard of ‘the best’ endorsed by the Holy Prophet Sallallahu alyhe wasallam?

All of us have to answer that question. Sometimes what’s better than shopping is helping someone in need? That feeling of altruism is the one that helps us with a good nights sleep. All of us have the potential to change lives and help our Pakistani brothers and sisters in need.

 

We don’t know how many Isha’s are out there. InshAllah one day Isha will have her own children. What she gives them is really what decides the future of our nation. There may be many accountants, lawyers, doctors out there, but are there any good human beings out there? We need to work collectively inshAllah to eradicate poverty, work for the betterment of girls and women and help those in need. Together we should dedicate our lives for the betterment of humanity in the name of goodness and in the service of our Universal One and Only God.

 

A woman is a pearl. She has to be protected, nourished and given the best so that the generations that follow can become the best of those to mankind. We need to think anew on this Women’s day, we have to like for others what we like for ourselves. This is an investment that will pay dividends both in this world and the Hereafter-inshaAllah.
 
To help us with this cause please visit www.gwhi.org for more information.

Beth Trevan joins GWHI

Lismore’s Beth Trevan has been honoured in the 2009 Queen’s Birthday honours for her contribution to health, being awarded a Member (AM) in the General Division.

Mrs Trevan’s award is ‘for service to the community through contributions to children’s health, to the development of cancer prevention and awareness programs, and to professional standards’. She has served on a range of cancer prevention and related organisations in the Lismore region, since the 1980s.

 

Biographical notes: Mrs Elizabeth Anne TREVAN BEM:

For service to the community through contributions to children’s health, to the development of cancer prevention and awareness programs, and to professional standards. Has served on a range of cancer prevention and related organisations in the Lismore region since the 1980s, including: Lismore Base Hospital Children’s Health Foundation, 1984-2004. Current Member, Far North Coast Regional Advisory Committee, Cancer Council of New South Wales; Regional Cancer Information and Education Officer, 1985-1992. Northern Rivers Area Health Service Breast Cancer Quality Improvement Committee, 1999- 2002. BreastScreen NSW Cost Modelling Advisory Committee, 1998-2002; Accreditation and Quality Improvement Committee 1997-2002; and Service Management Advisory Committee, 1993-2002. Steering Committee, North Coast Breast Screening Program, 1990-1992. Chairperson, Richmond Health Service Ethics Committee, 1989-1996. Member, Public Health Association (North Coast), 1987-1989. Community Representative, Area Health Coordinating Committee, 1986-1991. Vice-President, Lismore and District Women’s Health Centre, 1987-1988; Vice-President, Establishment Committee, 1986. Chair, Governance Committee, Southern Cross University, 2004-2006; Council Member, 2003-2006; Member, Finance Committee, 2004-2006; University Councillor, 2003-2006; Member, Faculty of Health Sciences Review Panel, 1994-1998. Has visited Pakistan on 7 occasions in consultancy role to assist in the establishment of multidisciplinary breast clinics and guidelines for breat imaging. Consultant to the Multan institute of Nuclear Medicine and Radiotherapy; the Shaukat Khanam Hospital and Cancer Research Centre; and several hospitals run by the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission. Councillor, Federation of Parents and Citizens’ Association of NSW, Far North Coast Region, 1985-1991; Parent Representative to NSW Education Department Special Education Committee, 1985-1992; President, Lismore Parents and Citizens’ Association, 1985-1992. Awards/recognition include: British Empire Medal, for her service to children, 1981. Centenary Medal, 2001. Australasian College of Dermatologists Inaugural Skin Cancer Prevention Award, 1992. NSW Education Department Director-General’s Award for Excellence in Education, 1990.

source: http://www.farnorthcoaster.com.au/news/4794/beth-trevan-heads-far-north-coast-queens-honours-list/

Dr Zafar’s Ideology

Dr Noreen Zafar, prseident of the Girls and Women Health initiative-(GWHI)  has the following to say:
 
I wish to be able to make improvements in the women’s health system, hence my return to Pakistan from the UK. I pioneered Paediatric and Adolescent Gynaecology in Pakistan and believe firmly that in order for us to be a successful nation our sisters and daughters need to be happy, healthy and empowered. I have close working, training and clinical links with international authorities in Paediatric and Adolescent Gynaecology and I am putting in all my efforts for my personal professional development in this very new sub-specialty.

 

Girls and Women Health Initiative is the milestone of my humble efforts. It is a non  governmental, not for profit venture which is designed to reach out to the poor and the under privileged , to provide quality healthcare at their doorstep. We are working in the most deprived areas of Lahore and outside , providing nutritional support, reproductive , gynaecological and general health solutions to girls and women I intend to establish a comprehensive and outreach medico-social services network for women and in particular, adolescent girls. My aim is to provide a holistic approach to girls’ and women’s health improvement by empowering them with awareness and education about their health and well being.

 

 I have been working so far, in my own humble capacity but now as the scope of my work is expanding rapidly ,this mission can surely be better accomplished by making intelligent use of agencies like WHO, UNICEF, UN ,USAID,RCOG , INCTR ,ACOG and most importantly  media support and influential friends.

 

Mine is also the first ever Women Care Clinic of its sort in the country which offers health and well being of the girls and women in entirety rather than just medical solutions. This is in addition to the plan for a formal launch of Female Pre Cancer Screening Program, with the objective of reducing the new cases of uterine, breast, cervical and ovarian cancers. I am already running an organized awareness campaign against breast cancer from the platform of Women Health Initiative. The next milestone in the women health care will be the Single Visit See and Treat Cervical Cancer Prevention Program .I have worked out the entire plan framework and just need to hit the jackpot to initiate it——-

Volunteer for GWHI!

Hi everyone :)

We at GWHI are in search for volunteers.  It doesnt matter what your age, background, career or  religion is. Lets make Pakistan a better place inshaAllah.

please visit www.gwhi.org for volunteering,

or email us at gwhi.staff[at]gmail.com

thanks, Volunteer for a good cause.

 peace be with you :)