Zubair Qureshi
Ambassador of Azerbaijan, Ali Alizada on Wednesday handed over blood bags, medical masks and food boxes to the Sundas Thalassemia Centre.
These gifts have been provided on behalf of Heydar Aliyev Foundation for the thalassemia patients, mostly children.
Chief Administrator of the Center, Air Vice Marshal (Retd) Aftab Hussain received the ambassador on his arrival and briefed him about the facilities of the Center and patients who are being treated there.
Sundas Thalassemia Center he said had been operating for more than 20 years, and more than 350 children from different parts of Pakistan suffering from thalassemia and more than 60 children suffering from hemophilia are currently receiving free treatment and blood transfusion.
He noted that the center, which was the first of its kind in Pakistan was visited by the President and First Lady of the country, also provides financial and logistical support to the families of patients.
He also took the Ambassador for a round of the various sections of the centre and showed him how with help of latest equipment, the centre was operating various functions. The ambassador showed keen interest during his visit to transfusion ward, lab, blood bank and pharmacy of the Center.
While speaking on the occasion, Ambassador of Azerbaijan Ali Alizada recalled that after the devastating earthquake in 2005, Heydar Aliyev Foundation started its work in Pakistan and constructed a new school for girls in Muzaffarabad, on the initiative of the President of the Foundation, First Lady of Azerbaijan – MehribanAliyeva.
The Ambassador said that during these 15 years the Foundation initiated a series of social and humanitarian projects in all provinces of Pakistan.
He noted that the Foundation assisted in the establishment of Thalassemia Center in Islamabad, donated ambulances and thousands of blood bags to various charity organizations of Pakistan did not forget orphans and special children during Ramadan every year, organizing iftar dinners and presenting gifts to them.
The Ambassador expressed his gratitude to patients of the Sundus Thalassemia Center for joining an iftar dinner organized for orphans and special children at the Aiwan-e-Sadr last year, with the participation of the President of Pakistan and the First Lady.
He added that the organization of iftar dinners were not possible this year due to the pandemic, but other charitable activities of the Foundation would be continue.
Ambassador Alizada said that social and humanitarian projects implemented in Pakistan by the Foundation served to further strengthen and deepen friendly and fraternal relations between Pakistan and Azerbaijan. At the end, blood bags and medical masks purchased with the support of the Foundation, as well as food boxes and toys prepared for the patients of the Thalassemia Center were presented.
Earlier, Air Vice Marshal Aftab Hussain thanked the ambassador for the social and humanitarian projects of Heydar Aliyev Foundation being implemented regularly in Pakistan and expressed his gratitude to the Foundation and its leadership for providing blood bags, medical masks, food boxes and gifts to the Thalassemia Centre.
