KARACHI: The Bake Sale, an annual fundraising carnival for the provision of free medical facilities to less privileged patients at the Civil Hospital Karachi, is expected to generate Rs2 million this year, said an event organiser on Wednesday.

Last year the Patients Welfare Association (PWA), which hosts The Bake Sale every year, had earned Rs1.7 million through the carnival, it was said.

The fund generated is spent on the treatment of less privileged patients suffering from thalassaemia, tuberculosis and other diseases, according to Urooj Siddiqui, a PWA volunteer.

Stalls of flowers, cakes, balloons, handicrafts, food and other items were set up by students of the Dow Medical College at the Civil Hospital Karachi for sale.

A student, Nida Sehar, said the main objective of the establishment of stalls in the carnival was to earn more and more money as that would be used on public health.

Ms Siddiqui claimed that the PWA was the largest student-run non-governmental organisation in the country being voluntarily run by students of the Dow Medical College. Since 1979, the PWA has been providing free-of-cost medical service to poor patients of Civil Hospital Karachi through its blood transfusion services with an annual output of around 90,000 blood bags. Besides, it has been providing treatment facilities to 300 registered TB patients and 275 thalassaemia patients.

Also, a drug bank and a diagnostic lab were fulfilling the needs of countless patients every year, it was said.

A large number of doctors, a hockey star, TV anchors, students, media persons and dignitaries highly appreciated the efforts of students about fundraising in order to serve the poor patients.

Chief executive officer of the Tufail Chemical Industries Ltd Zubair F.

Tufail was the chief guest on the occasion.—PPI