KARACHI: As part of the Rs1 billion Hussain Dawood Pledge, Engro Fertilisers — a subsidiary of Engro Corporation — has committed to provide Rs95 million to the Indus Hospital to expand the Covid-19 testing capacity across Sindh under the “Sindh Screening Programme — Free of Cost” campaign, Engro Fertilisers will sponsor the Indus Hospital network to launch testing interventions across rural Sindh. To ensure maximum coverage of the rural population, the testing campaign will be deployed in Larkana, Nawabshah, Jamshoro, Sukkur, Tharparkar and Badin, which have seen a gradual increase in the number of cases over the past weeks.

According to Ghias Khan, president and CEO of Engro Corporation, “This partnership is geared to meet the priority of improving Covid-19 testing rates in Pakistan, based on the principle of inclusion and healthcare access for all. According to National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC), around 58 per cent of Pakistan’s total coronavirus cases are now locally transmitted, hence, there is a real need for concerted focus on testing and isolation to control the spread of Covid-19. We look forward to continue collaboration with the government and expanding this programme with reputable implementation partners to other parts of Pakistan as well.”

Speaking on the occasion, CEO of Indus Hospital Dr Abdul Bari Khan said: “We are pleased to join Engro as an implementation partner to improve Covid-19 testing rates in Pakistan. To deal with this pandemic, it is critical that coronavirus cases are detected early and the patients are isolated to prevent transmission of the virus.”

Nadir Qureshi, CEO of Engro Fertilisers, said that, “Engro Fertilisers is committed to support Pakistan’s fight against Covid-19, the most pressing issue faced by the country today. Currently, Pakistan has one of the lowest per capita testing rates in the world, which could impact the efforts to contain the virus. This collaboration with Indus Hospital will enhance the outreach of testing facilities across key clusters in Sindh and InshaAllah help fight this pandemic more effectively.”

Under the Rs1 billion pledge made by Engro Corporation chairman Hussain Dawood and Dawood Hercules Corporation, Covid-19 relief efforts will be supported in services, kind and cash on multiple fronts, including disease prevention, with a major focus on testing and diagnostics; protecting and enabling healthcare practitioners and other key workers, who are at the frontline of the fight against this pandemic; enabling patient care and facilities; and bolstering livelihoods and sustenance of the most deserving in society.

Published in Dawn, April 21st, 2020