BADIN, Sept 2: Thousands of messages spread across the country through SMS this week falsely claiming establishment of a “Pakistan Peace Heart Hospital” in Badin and inviting people to get their children having holes in their heart treated there.

A number of people visited Badin in response to the message, but found no trace of such a hospital.

Mohammad Haroon Memon, a physician, termed the message false and a ploy to extort money. “There is no hospital here for treatment of children with holes in hearts. I advise people to get such messages verified before making any move.”

Inquiries revealed that the Pakistan Peace Heart Foundation (PPHF) had once proposed establishment of such a hospital in Badin, but so far it has remained on paper.

However, the Peace Heart Foundation is registered with the Social Welfare Department with Badin specified as its area of operation. Registration papers reveal that office-bearers of the foundation don’t belong to the medical profession.

Imtiaz Abro, who works for an NGO, heads the PPHF. Other office-bearers are two lady health workers, Haleeman Sheedi and Shahida Parveen Khashkheli, and a tailor, Hanif Soomro.

Zahid Hussain, “district governor” of the PPHF in Dadu, said he had sent two cases about 20 months ago to the foundation in Badin but no steps to treat the children had yet been taken.

Mohammad Usman, “district governor” in Bhakkar (Punjab), says he joined the PPHF at the request of its “chief organiser” for Punjab, but “I now smell something fishy” as there has been no movement on two cases referred by him almost a year ago.

However, Raza Ali Bhurgari, `district governor’ in Badin, had something to say in defence of the PPHF: “The Foundation is providing support services to poor families of children afflicted with congenital defects, critical disorder, syndromes and diseases affecting their health.”

He even claimed that a plot of land had been acquired for setting up a “Peace Heart hospital” in Badin.

This reporter visited the proposed site of the hospital in Haji Nathalo Jat village and interviewed Haji Qasim Jat, said to be the owner of the plot that the PPHF wanted to purchase for the hospital.

Mr Jat said he had reached an agreement for donating the plot to the foundation on two conditions: the donor will choose the hospital’s name and the head of his tribe will lay its foundation stone.

He accused the ‘foundation’ of violating the agreement and said he would reconsider the matter before deciding for or against handing over the plot.