Dawood Public School (DPS) and Engro Foundation have come together to help patients at the Lady Dufferin Hospital by donating a sum of PKR 2.4 million to the hospice. The funds were collected through the Festival of Lights – a fundraising carnival organized by DPS for the residents of Karachi.
The festival was an event full of shimmering lights and unique illuminated artifacts. The fun-filled carnival aimed to generate funds for the hospital by transforming itself into a mesmerizing display of lights. The students, teachers, parents and staff at DPS voluntarily set up food & activity stalls to join this noble cause of helping Lady Dufferin Hospital in their mission to provide healthcare to various women and children.
The Lady Dufferin Hospital is a not-for-profit organization that goes beyond socio-economic ambits to provide the finest medical care to women and children. With over 300 beds and state-of-the-art medical facilities including obstetric, gynecological and neonatal pediatric services, the hospital caters to thousands of patients unable to afford good quality medical treatment.
While commenting on the commitment demonstrated by each and every member of Dawood Public School, the Principal Ms. Mahvish Roshani said: “Today is a phenomenal day for everyone at the school because our hard work and efforts have borne fruit. The event ‘Festival of Lights’ garnered massive footfall and for that, we are thankful to the people of Karachi. The entire school came together to put up a dazzling show and generate funds for the hospital. Such events recalibrate our belief that innovation in education can lead to many new frontiers and instrumentally create agents of change for the society.”
The determination of DPS’s students, teachers, and staff was also lauded by Dr. Zaryab Sethna, Medical Superintendent atLady Dufferin Hospital. He said: “The hospital and its patients are awed by the energy and dynamism exhibited by the entire DPS family. It is wonderful to note that such educational endeavors can instigate a remarkable change in society and for this, I would like to thank the Dawood Public School for its vision.”
The funds shall be used to aid deserving mothers and children at the Lady Dufferin Hospital. According to a report by ‘Save the Children’, Pakistan has one of the highest Mother Mortality Rate of 276 per 100,000 live births and the under-five child mortality rate of around 89 deaths per 1,000 live births during the last decade or so.
The health indicators in Pakistan also present a gloomy situation especially when it comes to maternal and infant mortality rates. According to a report, “Ending Newborn Deaths,” in 2012 Pakistan had the highest rate of first-day deaths and stillbirths at 40.7 per 1,000 births, followed by Nigeria (32.7), Sierra Leone (30.8), Somalia (29.7), Guinea-Bissau (29.4) and Afghanistan (29.0).
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