MUZAFFARABAD (Kashmir English): In a display of compassion, the Zakat and Ushr Department of Azad Kashmir government has provided free medical treatment to 953 poor inpatients in the District Hospitals across the state over the last nine months.
According to the government’s Press Information Department, the Zakat department spent an average of Rs. 10,778 per patient, with a total expenditure of Rs. 10.27 million under the vision of Prime Minister Chaudhry Anwarul Haq to support the poor and needy.
The funds were disbursed to medical institutions, including the District Headquarters Hospitals, CMH, and AIIMS, through a rigorous cross-checking process to ensure transparency and accountability. At least 445 women and 508 men received treatment for various ailments, the statement said.
Chief Administrator of the Department of Zakat and Ushr, Chaudhry Razaq, emphasized that the program has been a lifeline for poor patients, who often require financial assistance ranging from Rs. 10,000 to Rs. 20,000. “The initiative has brought hope and relief to those who cannot afford medical care.”
Furthermore, the statement added that the department has established a Zakat Desk in various hospitals. “Patients can reach out to the desk for support, ensuring that they receive the medical care they deserve,” it stated.
Earlier in January this year, AJK Prime Minister Chaudhry Anwarul Haq approved the release of Rs50 million from the Zakat profit fund to cover the medical treatment costs of helpless individuals in public-sector hospitals in Pakistan.
This amount was allocated for the treatment of life-threatening diseases that could not be treated within Azad Kashmir under a transparent and specified mechanism approved by the cabinet, an official said.
According to the government decision, a maximum of Rs600,000 would be provided for heart patients, Rs800,000 for cancer patients, and Rs1 million for kidney transplants, the Zakat Department official said.
