RAWALPINDI, Oct 26 /DNA/ – Al-Shifa Trust Eye Hospital is stepping up its international outreach, seeking a partnership with Qatar Charity to provide free eye treatment to Somali patients, support a planned eye care and research centre in Lahore and expand medical training opportunities.
The initiative emerged during a four-day networking visit to Doha by Al-Shifa Trust President Maj. Gen. (Retd) Rehmat Khan and his delegation, which also discussed reviving the Trust’s Gulf Chapter in Qatar to strengthen fundraising and engagement with overseas Pakistanis.
During a meeting with Mr. Jassim Mohammed Al-Sumaiti, Qatar Charity’s general supervisor for Pakistan, the two sides explored potential cooperation in healthcare, human resource development and professional training. Al-Sumaiti appreciated the Trust’s humanitarian mission to prevent blindness and expressed interest in supporting its work across multiple areas.
Under the proposed arrangement for Somali patients, Qatar Charity would finance the entire cost of their treatment. President Al-Shifa Trust also proposed an arrangement to facilitate patients from Qatar on a 50-50 cost-sharing model.
The talks also covered support for the Trust’s planned eye care and research centre in Lahore, training for doctors and a possible nurse exchange programme. Qatar Charity representatives indicated that they might visit Pakistan in November, ahead of Ramadan, while the Trust prioritised follow-up discussions with the charity’s Islamabad office.
The proposed collaboration could widen access to specialist eye care for Somali patients who might otherwise struggle to afford treatment. It could also help Pakistani medical professionals develop specialised skills through international training and exchange opportunities.
During the visit, the delegation met representatives of Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar, Pakistan’s ambassador to Qatar, Pakistan Welfare Forum Qatar and the Pakistan Business Forum Qatar to explore opportunities for institutional cooperation and fundraising.
Members of the Pakistan Welfare Forum highlighted limited awareness of Al-Shifa Trust among Pakistanis, underscoring the need for stronger outreach to the diaspora. The attendees appreciated the noble humanitarian work of Al-Shifa Trust and explored ideas to advance its mission on multilateral fronts and through networking with like-minded individuals. The community also expressed their keen support to collaborate in order to propagate Al-Shifa Trust’s message in Qatar and beyond.
The proposed international support could help ease financial pressures on the Trust as inflation and rupee depreciation have raised the cost of imported medical equipment and hospital operations.
