A dream come true

This is one dream-come-true story that this scribe is a witness to. It's a story that happened right before my eyes. It began (for me) in 1978, "Why do you have so many parties these days?" I asked my friend Farida Nazar, daughter of an industrialist Ch. Nazar Muhammad. "My father is gathering all the businessmen of Lahore and asking them to help him build a hospital for poor people". Farida said.
I knew, her father Ch. Nazar Muhammad was chairman of the well known Service Industries. He was a self-made man and believed in hard work. All my other friends and I felt, it was a good idea, but we were sure, it could not become a reality - not in Pakistan. Such things were just not done, especially in those days.
But the determined man persevered.
I knew about him through his daughter. How as an FSc student once he went to visit his English professor in Peshawar, and mentioned the plight of poverty stricken people in our country. And the Englishman said "You people will never do anything for your people. You just keep talking."
"No, I will be different, I will do my best to help these people". "No! " replied the Englishman, "You will be like the rest of them. You will get married and have children, and get involved in your own business. And you will forget about the poor people in your country, just like everyone else!".
That day, a very determined young man walked out of this proffessor's home...
By 1976, this very man became one of the biggest business tycoons of the country. And he had not forgotten his dream of helping the poor of his country. His dream was to build a hospital for the poor, which would have the best facilities available and free.
And so, Ch. Nazar Muhammad, convinced the business community of Lahore to rise to the occasion and donate wholeheartedly for the purpose. He pointed out how Hindus like Ganga Ram and Gulab Devi had served the people of Lahore through their hospitals. And why couldn't Muslims initiate and participate in such projects?
Land for this hospital (18 acres) was procured through the Bhutto government who gave railway land in the heart of Lahore for this purpose. Ghulam Mustafa Khar was the Governor of Punjab at that time, who cut through the 'red tape', and got the land for them within days, through personal involvement. And so, the land was given to the BHT - Businessmen Hospital Trust.
However, it was realised that this name was not easy for the poor man to pronounce. And so it was named the Shalamar Hospital. A team of Australian architects who were here to design a department for the Mayo Hospital, were assigned the job of designing the Shalimar Hospital project. And Prof. Akhtar Khan, ex.Principal of King Edward Medical College, Lahore, was like a chief medical adviser to Ch. Nazar. He is still member the advisory committee of this hospital.
And so Shalamar Hospital - the Businessmen Hospital Trust-began functioning in 1982 with its outdoor dept. and the indoor started functioning in 1983.
Starting as a 100-bed hospital, it is now a 350-bed hospital. Recently, I visited the completed hospital. Here, a poor person can see some of the most highly qualified doctors in the country. Very serious cases which cannot be treated in the country, are even sent abroad for treatment. They do charge people who can afford, but a poor person can get the best treatment free of cost. The hospital has a 700-1000 patient turnover every day.
According to Uzma, a person I interviewed in Islamabad, who had a unique problem - her daughter Azeema is a Thalamide child which means without hands or lower legs. This lady went everywhere in Rawalpindi, Islamabad and Lahore but to no avail. Someone mentioned Shalamar Hospital and on her visit there, she was treated with consideration and sympathy. On the recommendation of the Shalamar Hospital doctors, the girl (along with 5 other 'hopeless' cases) was sent to the States where American and Pakistani philanthropists paid all expenses for giving this child (and others with her) the best treatment available.
She has been assured free treatment of the same kind till the age of eighteen years.
Azeema has returned from her second trip to the States. She has artificial hands and special legs which can bend at the knees.
There are 4 Ultra-sound specialists or Ultra Sinologists. Charges are nominal. A consultant will even do free operation - something that is not done anywhere else. It can be operation of any type, and everything is done free. Latest methods of Laproscopy and Lapodomy are also used here for abdominal surgery.
This hospital which started with 15 doctors and 3 specialists, is now functioning with over 50 foreign qualified specialists and many visiting professors. It runs with the help of government funds, which are around Rs. 7 million a year, and the rest is managed through donations. Some funds are generated by private patients using the 60 private rooms, (these remain 95% occupied). Some funds are generated through the charges of the ward beds. Otherwise, there are no charges for surgery, anaesthesia or investigations which are carried out for every patient who is admitted, (Of course, if the patient cannot afford it he will not pay for it). If a patient says he cannot even afford the Rs.25, he is given a 'free chit'
No food is allowed from homes. All patients have to have food provided by the hospital. Photo-therapy facilities for all babies born with jaundice problem are provided.
A school of nursing is under-construction and will be operational by early 2005.
At present, the government is giving around Rs.7 million for running expenses annually. And the total annual budget is of Rs.120 to 140 million, so the rest is arranged through donations and self financing of various departments through private patients. The free treatment costs about 25 million.
The message from the administration is:
"Kindly help us with your donations. The more you give us the more we can do for the poor people. And it is not just for us, but any hospital that you want. Everyone in our country must donate for them. "Besides this everyone needs to do voluntary work. Come and see what is being done here, and what kind of help is needed.
Well, the trip to the hospital was unbelievable for me. As I knew about it, right from the time of its conception. I remember the scepticism with which all of us friends had heard about it then. Mind you, I'm talking about 1978, when such things were not done at all.
It is heartening to know that "yes dreams" can come true in our country, and against the heaviest of odds. Today, just as there are many factors working against us, we all can get together and help make such organisations self sufficient and strong.
Because, it is not just their dreams. These are our dreams that they are fulfilling. When we donate to such organisations, we are making our own dream come true also.