Private donation and initiative to fight against the COVID-19 pandemic in Pakistan
The Hussain Dawood Pledge (HD-Pledge) is one of the biggest private donations and initiatives to fight against the COVID-19 pandemic in Pakistan.[1]Hussain Dawood, on behalf of Engro, Dawood Hercules and his family pledged on 2 April 2020 a contribution in services, kind, and cash of Pakistani rupee (PKR) 1 billion (~6 million USD).[2]The contribution became public a day after Prime Minister Imran Khan announced the coronavirus relief fund to fight the pandemic and urged everyone to donate.[3]
Logo of the Hussain Dawood Pledge
Since the outbreak of the coronavirus in 2019 and the first proven case in Pakistan on 26th February 2020,[4] the government initiated measures to prevent the spread. The HD-Pledge was started as an initiative to support various organisations active in the healthcare system and to support measures against the spread of COVID-19 to reduce the impact.[2]
Targets
With the publication of the pledge, it was announced that the four key areas are:[5]
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; and
Bolster livelihoods and sustenance of the most deserving in society.[6]
Implementation
The HD-Pledge funds are disbursed primarily through The Dawood Foundation and Engro Foundation. The pledge management, a dedicated committee composed of leadership figures of Mr. Dawood's business enterprises and associated philanthropic foundations headed by Sabrina Dawood, developed the overarching strategy and is assessing applications for funds according to the criteria of sustainable impact and saving lives.[7]
The funds are open to any credible organisation, whether public and private hospitals, NGO, private enterprises, or foundations, who can apply.[citation needed]
Achievements
To date (August 2021), PKR 497,870,000 or almost 49% of the fund of the HD-Pledge have been donated via cash and kind.[8]
Some selected examples of how this amount was donated:
Handing over a symbolic cheque in Karachi from the Hussain Dawood Pledge to the CEO of the Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund during MoU signing ceremony, the lead implementing agency for the Ehsaas Amdan program
PKR 28 million contribution to the Patients' Aid Foundation for the procurement of 14,000 medical grade scrubs to protect medical staff against the rising incidence of COVID-19 in Karachi.[9]
PKR 20 million in financial assistance to Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital & Research Centre to expand COVID-19 testing capacity across Southern Punjab and strengthen the health sector to cope with the ongoing pandemic (April 2020).[11]
PKR 40 million to extend the partnership with Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre for expansion of COVID-19 testing capacity in Southern Punjab (June 2020).[12]
PKR 79.5 million contribution to a collaborative project with Aga Khan University to build the capacity of frontline healthcare professionals to manage COVID-19 patients across the country.[13]
PKR 18.7 million for the establishment of a High Dependency Unit (HDU) at the Indus Hospital, Karachi, to enhance COVID-19 patient care and facilities.[14]
PKR 12 million committed to establish an Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at Nishtar Medical University & Hospital, Multan. This included the set up and operationalisation of a 20-bed dedicated HDU with medical equipment.[15]
459,000 units of personal protective equipment (PPE) worth Rs100 million for front-line healthcare practitioners treating COVID-19 patients.[16]
Support Sehat Kahani by adding 100 more doctors to the telemedicine app to facilitate a greater number of virtual consultations.[17]
PKR 95 million to the Indus Hospital to expand the COVID-19 testing capacity across Sindh under the Sindh Screening Programme — Free of Cost.[18]
PKR 7,9 million to promote mental health-support among frontline workers and the general population directly affected by COVID-19 pandemic together with the British Asian Trust and IRD Pakistan.[19]
Partners
The following entities have partnered with the HD-Pledge (as of August 2021).[citation needed]
^"Press Release: Hussain Dawood, Engro/Dawood Hercules Group and his Family pledge PKR 1bn to combat COVID-19". DawoodHercules.com. Dawood Hercules. Retrieved August 13, 2021.
^ a b"Donors step up for coronavirus fight". Express Tribune. April 2, 2020. Retrieved August 13, 2021.
^"Hussain Dawood pledges Rs1bn to bolster fight against corona pandemic". Pakistan Today. April 2, 2020. Retrieved August 13, 2021.
^Khan, Khawar; Bhatti, M. Waqar (February 27, 2020). "Pakistan reports first coronavirus case in Karachi, raising infected toll to two". The News International. Retrieved August 13, 2021.
^"Pakistani business magnate pledges Rs1bn as COVID-19 aid". The News International. April 2, 2020. Retrieved August 13, 2021.
^Shaikh, Najib (April 2, 2020). "Hussain Dawood Pledges Rs 1bn in Aid Towards Fight Against Coronavirus". Business Recorder. Retrieved August 13, 2021.
^Ahmed, Ashfaq (April 8, 2020). "COVID-19: Dubai-based Pakistani business tycoon Hussain Dawood pledges Dh22 million to combat coronavirus". Gulf News. Retrieved August 13, 2021.
^"The Pledge". Hussain Dawood Pledge. Retrieved August 13, 2021.
^"Engro donates 14,000 medical-grade scrubs to Patients' Aid Foundation". Profit Magazine, Pakistan Today. February 1, 2022. Retrieved February 26, 2022.
^Shabir, Swaira (March 5, 2021). "PPAF To Launch Rs. 70 Million Livelihood Initiative Under Ehsaas Program". Technology Times. Retrieved August 13, 2021.
^"Engro pledges Rs20m to expand Covid testing at Shaukat Khanum Hospital". Dawn. April 30, 2020. Retrieved August 13, 2021.
^"Engro commits PKR 40 million to extend partnership with SKMCH & Research Centre to enhance COVID-19". The News International. June 5, 2020. Retrieved August 13, 2021.
^"Building capacity of COVID-19 frontline healthcare professionals". The Aga Khan University. Press Release. Retrieved August 13, 2021.
^"The Dawood Foundation and Allied Bank Partner to establish High Dependency Unit at the Indus Hospital for Covid-19 Patients". Indus Hospital & Health Network. Press Release (11 August 2020). Retrieved August 13, 2021.
^Tahir, Mohammad Bilal (August 11, 2020). "Dawood Foundation, Allied Bank partner to establish High Dependency Unit at Indus Hospital for COVID-19 patients". Business Recorder. Retrieved August 13, 2021.
^"Engro Foundation to donate 459,000 PPE units for medical practitioners". Dawn. June 3, 2020. Retrieved August 13, 2021.
^Waqas, Maliha (May 24, 2020). "Engro & Sehat Kahani collaborate to promote quality healthcare". The Nation. Retrieved August 13, 2021.
^"Engro partners with Indus Hospital to boost Covid testing capacity". Dawn. April 21, 2020. Retrieved August 13, 2021.
^"Dawood Foundation and British Asian Trust join hands to promote mental health amid Covid-19 pandemic". Daily Times. June 17, 2020. Retrieved August 13, 2021.
Further reading
Pakistan's Response to COVID-19: Overcoming National and International Hypes to Fight the Pandemic, JMIR Public Health Surveill. 2021 May; 7(5): e28517. Published online 2021 May 19. doi: 10.2196/28517
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