In a significant development, Sindh Social Welfare Minister Sajid Jokhio inaugurated Pakistan’s first complete hemophilia treatment center in Nazimabad, Karachi. The state-of-the-art facility has been established by the Hemophilia Welfare Society Karachi to provide comprehensive care and support to individuals suffering from hemophilia.
During the inauguration ceremony, Provincial Minister Sajid Jokhio, along with prominent figures including Raheel Ahmed (founder and CEO of the society), Dr. Sarfaraz Jafri, Anees Ur Rehman, Fakhr Alam Zaidi, Dr. Munira, and Shahid Dawood, cut the ribbon and officially opened the new center.
The chief guest, Sajid Jokhio, was given a tour of the facility where he interacted with the children affected by hemophilia and their parents. Raheel Ahmed, the founder and CEO of the Hemophilia Welfare Society, highlighted the center’s capabilities, mentioning its 15-bed capacity and the availability of the latest treatment drugs and facilities.
He emphasized that the monthly cost of treating one patient ranges from 3 lakhs to 17 lakhs, and currently, the international organization WFH (World Federation of Hemophilia) is supporting a portion of these expenses. Raheel Ahmed also expressed gratitude for the 24 million rupees contribution by the Sindh government, which has been utilized for the treatment of six children thus far.
However, he stressed that an annual budget of 1800 million rupees is required to treat all affected children adequately.In addition to the treatment center, Raheel Ahmed shared the Hemophilia Welfare Society’s vision of collaborating with the Sindh government is to focus on disease prevention and treatment at the district level through a public-private partnership.
He revealed that there are approximately 5200 hemophilia patients in Sindh, of which only 1100 are registered.Raheel Ahmed also highlighted the lack of available hemophilia medicine in Pakistan, urging authorities to allow the import of essential medications.
