The children, adolescents and young adults of our country are the most important and vulnerable segment of the population. Recognising the need for promoting disease prevention and healthy lifestyle in this age group, volunteers from ICI Pakistan Limited and the Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi (AKUH) organised a half day programme in pediatrics ward recently.
Employees from ICI volunteered to spend quality time with patients and involve them in interactive activities like story-telling and book reading, drawing and coloring, indoor games like jigsaw puzzles and board games. Paeds Faculty, residents and nurses also contributed their time and energy to make this event a success.
'Hospitalised children with diseases like acute leukemia's and malignancies, neurological diseases, chronic renal and respiratory problems, post-operative surgery and cardiac patients and patients on chemotherapy become homesick due to prolonged hospital stay. This activity will provide them moments of fun, enhance their mentation and respite their debilitating illness', says Dr Huba Atiq, Chief Resident, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, AKUH.
ICI Pakistan Limited, a major multinational company in country organised this activity under their recently launched "Volunteer Programme" across country. This programme has seen the company and its employees join hands to support the IDPs, working at key hospitals such as Aga Khan University and hospital, Shaukat Khanum Cancer Hospital, Ittefaq Hospital helping to provide water to communities, supporting education causes etc.
ICI Pakistan, with a presence in Pakistan since before the partition has been a major contributor to the communities they operate in, supporting health, education and infrastructure projects to help change the lives of peoples in Pakistan. ICI Pakistan was recently recognised for philanthropy by the Pakistan Center for Philanthropy (PCP) in their annual awards in April 2009.-PR