JEDDAH — The October 2005 earthquake in North Pakistan shook everybody in the region. Huge loss of lives and properties across 200 towns was simply irreparable and still haunts many. It also left an indelible mark in one individual. The incident deeply moved Dr. Khalil ur Rahman, senior physician and kidney specialist, at the King Faisal Hospital, Jeddah since 1999. Hailing from Abbottabad, Dr. Khalil ur Rahman, showing extraordinary zeal, promptly managed to donate an ambulance to the earthquake disaster recovery authorities. Back in Jeddah, he kindled the flame of social welfare amongst Pakistani expatriates and succeeded in inspiring a pool of like-minded doctors and philanthropists. Consequently, on May 17, 2006, the Pakistan Welfare Society (PWS) was formally established under the patronage of Consulate General of Pakistan, Jeddah. PWS is a “trust” incorporated in Pakistan, working as a “social welfare organization” with no political or religious affiliation. PWS has regularly arranged fortnightly “Free Medical Camps” providing medical diagnosis, laboratory tests, and medicines to needy persons regardless of age, gender or nationality. The free medical camps has now broadened to Jeddah, Taif, Makkah, and Madinah. Under the able leadership of Dr. Khalil ur Rahman, PWS recently conducted its 180th free medical camp in Jeddah. This consistent humanitarian performance is indeed commendable. To date, over 31,000 persons in the Western region have benefitted from PWC's free medical services. PWS also holds periodic health seminars on cancer, diabetes, osteoporosis, kidney ailments, smoking hazards, and adolescence healthcare. In these seminars, specialist doctors from Europe and US impart health education to the public. Pakistan Kidney Center (PKC) is a Specialist Hospital Project launched by the PWS, currently under construction at Abbottabad, Pakistan. Dr. Khalil ur Rahman has nurtured the establishment of PKC. The foundation stone of PKC was officially laid by renowned scientist Dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan on Dec. 2, 2012. A kidney dialysis patient spends on an average PRs.15,000 (SR600) every week, in addition to the medicines. This exorbitant cost of treatment is unaffordable for majority of dialysis patients in developing countries like Pakistan, especially in the Northern areas of Peshawar, Kohat, Abbottabad, Hazara, Gilgit, Muzaffarabad, inter alia. With the advent of PKC, an estimated target population of 10 million poor and deserving patients will benefit from state-of-the-art kidney dialysis technology, latest medical facilities, and highly trained doctors and kidney specialists. With the help of Almighty Allah, the Pakistan Kidney Center will offer free services including laboratory tests for kidney and renal diseases, kidney dialysis and transplant to the deserving patients. Within two years PKC aims to launch “Outreach Services” whereby qualified doctors will travel in mobile laboratories to distant towns and villages in order to diagnose kidney patients and refer them to the main hospital at PKC, Abbottabad. Within five years, PKC has planned to become a “Regional Training Center” to train doctors from Middle East and South Asia in the specialist field of nephrology (kidney diseases). The construction of PKC commenced in December 2012 and is planned to be completed within two years. The land (11,184 sqf) located on Main Karakoram Highway, 5 kms south of Abbottabad, has generously been donated by one of the trustees. Project cost (construction and equipment) is estimated at PRs.126 million (SR4.8 million) and shall be raised through private donations from all over the world and is deemed adequate to bring the hospital to a fully functional state. The building foundation works having been completed, the ground floor construction has recently started. The target is to inaugurate the fully functional PKC in December 2014. Pakistan Kidney Center will be a “dream come true” for Dr. Khalil ur Rahman and thousands of deserving kidney patients. He has tacitly proven that “one man can make a difference.” Through his courage and perseverance, PKC will emerge as Pakistan's second largest kidney specialist hospital. Please review latest updates at the PKC website: http://www.pkc.com.pk YouTube Presentation can be seen at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQdPaTmZ9uA Special Note: Our kidneys are extremely important organs. Not only do they help the body to get rid of harmful waste and toxins, but they are also responsible for regulating blood pressure, producing hormones, and regulating vital biological functions. The kidneys play a crucial role in maintaining balance of the body systems and overall general health. Unfortunately, not many people understand the vital role of kidneys. Consequently, in many cases, complacency and neglect lead to unnecessary kidney ailments. Careless diet, inactive lifestyle, obesity, hypertension, diabetics, and low intake of water are the most common causes of kidney failure. We must study and take measures to maintain healthy kidneys.
