JEDDAH — Speakers at a recent event in Kerala lauded the charity work being carried out by Jeddah-based businessman and philanthropist Muhammed Alungal, chairman and managing director of Al-Abeer Medical Group. Prominent Indian Muslim leader and President of the Kerala State Muslim League Panakkad Sayyid Hyder Ali Shihab Thangal laid the foundation stone for the Dialysis Center under the Alivu Charity Cell at Valakkuda, Kannamangalam in Malappuram district on Saturday. The center is a new charity initiative of Alungal. The function was presided over by President of the Cell Panakkad Sayyid Munawarali Shihab Thangal. P.K. Kunhalikutty, Kerala's Minister of Industries and IT, A.P. Anil Kumar, Minister of Tourism and Welfare of Backward Classes, P. Ubaidullah M.L.A, K. Biju I.A.S, collector of Malappuram district. Alungal was among those who spoke on the occasion. The Alivu project is a multimillion rupee facility to support the poor kidney patients for dialysis and treatment. It was revealed in the function that Alungal has donated the land for the project, of which he will bear the cost for the construction of buildings as well as for setting up of dialysis units and other equipment, in addition to the center's operational expense for three years. On the sidelines of the function, Alungal handed over the document related with one acre of land that he had donated to the government-owned Public Health Center in his village to the Minister Kunhalikutty at the function. Alivu's General Secretary Shareef Kuttur welcomed the gathering while Working President T. Abdul Haq read the report. In August this year, Alungal paid SR 225,000 in blood money to the relatives of a Saudi citizen who was killed in an accident involving Vineesh Pappachan, a Keralite domestic driver, who was later released from Khamees Mushayt jail. A total of 12 homes have been constructed for the poor at his expense. Recently, Alungal paid 10 million Indian rupees for the construction of synthetic track for the University of Calicut, Kerala. — SG
