KARACHI: As part of the PKR 1 billion Hussain Dawood Pledge, Engro Foundation – the social investment arm of Engro Corporation – has provided an additional PKR 40 million to extend its partnership with Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre for expansion of COVID-19 testing capacity in Southern Punjab.

In the first phase of the “Southern Punjab Screening Program - Free of Cost” campaign, Engro had provided PKR 20 million in financial assistance to Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital & Research Centre to launch COVID-19 testing interventions across Southern Punjab. Under the initiative, 2400 tests were completed in the major cities of Multan, Dera Ghazi Khan, Layyah, Muzaffargarh, Bahawalpur and Bahawalnagar. The reported positive cases were advised to seek medical advice and follow Government’s recommended protocols.

In the second phase, PKR 40 million will be utilized by Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital & Research Centre to leverage its existing network of pathology laboratory collection centres to conduct 4700 more tests in these same cities, which have shown a high COVID-19 incidence rate.

According to Ghias Khan, President and CEO of Engro Corporation, “We are pleased to extend our partnership with Shaukat Khanum Hospital based on successful results of the COVID-19 testing campaign’s first phase. To fight this pandemic, it is critical that we dedicate our efforts to promote early testing and swiftly isolating the identified cases. We hope this new commitment will greatly benefit the local communities and InshAllah help control the spread of the disease.”

Dr. Muhammed Aasim Yusuf, Acting CEO of Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital & Research Centre, added that, “Punjab has reported the second highest number of cases in the country so far and we are grateful to our partners like Engro for supporting Shaukat Khanum’s efforts to boost COVID-19 testing in the province. With this new funding, we look forward to expanding testing rates in Southern Punjab for early identification of cases.”

The free of cost COVID-19 testing campaign with Shaukat Khanum is part of the PKR 1 billion pledge made by Mr. Hussain Dawood, the Chairman of Engro Corporation and Dawood Hercules Corporation. Under this pledge, the Group is supporting COVID-19 relief efforts in services, cash and kind 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.• Bolstering livelihoods and sustenance of the most deserving in society.