Dr. Mubina Agboatwalla, She is the founder and visionary behind HOPE, talked about “Disasters in Pakistan”. HOPE’s experience at the Annual Emergency Medicine Conference 2012 held by the Aga Khan University on April 26- 27, 2012 was good. In this session, she provided an overview of the relief efforts undertaken by the HOPE a health NGO in Pakistan, a non-profit organization focused on developing marginalized communities. HOPE provided medical aid, food and shelter, safe water and nutritional support in times of need. During the various disasters that occurred in Pakistan, following are some of HOPE’s relief efforts:
In 2005 Kashmir Earthquake, HOPE responded by dispatching a 17 member team to Mansehra, Abbotabad, Batal, Chattar Plain, Balakot and Baseyan to provide emergency medical relief. Approximately 4,000 patients were treated. During the 2007 Dadu Floods, HOPE teams travelled to flood-affected villages like Karo Chaan and Dadu to provide medical care and essential food and shelter items. Over 1,000 patients were treated for various ailments. In 2008 Balochistan Earthquake, a 20-member HOPE team travelled to the worst earthquake affected districts like Ziarat and Pishin to provide medical relief and food and shelter items. Over 7,500 people were treated for various illnesses through mobile medical camps. In 2009 HOPE teams travelled to Swat and Dir to provide relief. Over a 1,000 people were provided medical care. 25,000 families were provided with water purifying sachets called PuR. In 2010 Floods, 75 mobile medical camps treated over 35,000 patients. While in 2011 Monsoon Floods 23,450 people were provided with essential food and shelter items.
Dr. Agboatwalla child specialist in Karachi highlighted the different challenges encountered by HOPE and other relief agencies when responding to these calamities. The most important one being lack of information in the affected areas as to which area needs urgent medical relief. Moreover, the camps provided to IDPs are usually unhygienic and lack security.
She emphasized the problems, usually ignored by a vast majority of relief agencies that HOPE is working to solve. For example, HOPE is focused on providing safe water and nutrition to the affected communities. Furthermore, HOPE pays particular attention to medical problems encountered by women and always includes female doctors in its medical team.
HOPE’s overarching objective is to develop marginalized communities through key interventions in the health, education, and emergency relief areas whereby a community-based approach is used to sustain desirable outcomes of programs.