ISLAMABAD, Oct 26: The head of administration, St Joseph’s Hospice, Westridge, Sister Ela, and honorary president of sponsers committee Mrs Natalie Pribikova have launched a fund- collection drive for the hospice at a local hotel.

The administration highlighted the fact that in the wake of September 11 terrorist attacks in the US, the donations received by the hospice had declined. As a result, the hospice’s functioning was getting effected and sponsors had to cancel or postpone many activities, including coffee mornings, concerts and annual bazaars.

Another object of the drive is to spread awareness among the people about the hospice, which provides treatment to the needy, poor and deserving people.

St. Joseph’s Hospice was founded in Rawalpindi by an Irish missionary in early 1960’s. After its opening, a German institution, Miserior, agreed to bear the entire expenses for its building. Since 1964, it is being run by sisters from the Franciscans of Mary order, with the assistance of 14 Pakistani Nurses trained by the nuns. The hospice management revealed that on the pattern of St. Joseph’s Hospice in Rawalpindi, there were 15 such hospices in the world — ten in South America and 2 in the UK.

The Rawalpindi hospice has 50 resident patients, and about 80 to 90 emergency patients, including Afghan refugees, are received daily. The patients are treated irrespective of their religion, nationality, race and cast. However, the one thing common among them is that they are poor and downtrodden. Some are paralyzed and others suffer from long-term or debilitating illnesses, requiring special care. Patients are only asked to make a nominal contribution to the cost of their treatment.