Indus Heroes, Inspiring Staff

HEALTHCARE TECHNOLOGY INNOVATIONS CAN DRIVE BETTER OUTCOMES AND LOWER COSTS: SHAKEEL AKHTER

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“When you go to a hospital for a treatment, on every visit either you present your previous test results and prescriptions to refresh your consultant’s memory or the hospital’s management presents your medical record file. These paper files can be destroyed by water, dust, fire or by paper worms. In general, patients or their attendants do not keep these in a safe-ways. A patient’s medical record is of vital importance, therefore, we needed a system that can save it forever. Plus, the traditional system is not environment-friendly and requires a lot of human effort. These were the reason which led us to think of an out-of-the-box solution and we devised Pakistan’s first and the only paperless electronic medical record system” said, Mr. Shakeel Akhter, Chief Information Officer, the Indus Hospital.

Shakeel Akhter is one of the earliest IT graduates. He is associated with Health IT industry since 1996 where he was working with Dr. Zafar Zaidi, Dean Indus University of Health Sciences and Sr. Executive Director, Indus Health Network at a hospital in Karachi. When Dr. Abdul Bari Khan and Dr. Zafar Zaidi along with some more doctors established the Indus Hospital, Shakeel Akhter was contacted to develop its IT division in 2005-6.

At that time – and still – no Pakistani hospital had a paperless medical record system so it was a great challenge which Shakeel Akhter gladly accepted. He wanted to create a Hospital Management and Information System which is efficient, cost-effective, and environment-friendly so he and his initial team of four members dedicated their time for this challenge. The team worked with meager financial and human resources and set up an Electronic Medical Record (EMR) system which was one-of-a-kind in Pakistan.

The Indus Hospital is not only a pioneer in terms of free healthcare provision but it is also leading technologically. The then IT team worked really hard to set up the system and later on they helped other hospitals to transform their medical record system into an EMR. One such example is Pakistan Army who has adopted the same model system in their Combined Military Hospitals with the help of the Indus Hospital’s IT Team.

Since then, the IT department has gone through a lot of changes and has evolved into a pillar of the Indus Health Network. The department currently has a strength of 70 people who are strategically placed in five divisions: Software; Systems; Network Communication; Operations; and Support.

His thirst for innovation has not yet been quenched. He and his team is currently working on the second version of HMIS. The new version would be browser-based and connected with a cloud. It’ll help all IHN hospital to be connected and if a patient from Sindh travels to Punjab and goes to any IHN hospital there, the doctor can easily access his medical records. He is also working to develop our own telemedicine portal using smart gadgets for health care workers.

Shakeel Akhter has been praised and rewarded for his hard work and innovative ideas. He has been published at the cover of CIO Magazine. He was also awarded the Best CIO of Pakistan and Best Innovative Ideas of Pakistan as well. He believes that in order to take a leap in healthcare provision we have to blend digital technologies with healthcare services at all levels.

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Indus Hospital & Health Network is a not-for-profit company registered under section 42 of the Companies Ordinance 1984. The company has tax exemptions under the Income Tax Ordinance 2001.

Charity Registration No. PCP-R2/2019/234 National Tax No. 3162706-4
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Indus Hospital & Health Network is a not-for-profit company registered under section 42 of the Companies Ordinance 1984. The company has tax exemptions under the Income Tax Ordinance 2001.

Charity Registration No. PCP-R2/2019/234 National Tax No. 3162706-4

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Zakat is one of the five pillars of Islam. It is the specific amount of wealth that a mature Muslim, who is Sahib-e-Nisaab, gives to the poor with the intention of Zakat, upon the completion of the Zakat year.
“And those in whose riches there is a specified right. For the one who asks and the one who is deprived.” (Qur’an 70:24-25)

The meaning of Nisab is a specific amount of four types of wealth, which if owned by a mature Muslim, Zakat will be compulsory upon. The four types of wealth are:

  • Gold (7.5 Tolas, 87.48 Grams)
  • Silver (52.5 Tolas, 312.36 Grams)
  • Business wealth (value of which equals 52.5 Tolas Silver)
  • Currency/Cash (value of which equals 52.5 Tolas Silver)

Zakat is not just a fundamental pillar of Islam. It is also a revolutionary concept with the potential to ease the suffering of millions around the world.
As Allah (SWT) tells us in the Holy Qur’an:
“And be steadfast in Salah (prayer), and give Zakah. Whatever good you send forth for yourselves, you will find it with Allah. Certainly, Allah is watchful of what you do.” (Qur’an 2:110)
It is also a right that the poor have over us.
“And those in whose riches there is a specified right. For the one who asks and the one who is deprived.” (Qur’an 70:24-25)

Zakat is 2.5% of the wealth one possesses above the Nisab.

If someone is a Muslim, non-Sayyid, and they do not possess 52.5 Tolas silver, or its value in gold, currency, business wealth, or wealth surplus to their needs, they are eligible to receive Zakat.

No, Zakat is only obligatory upon Muslims.

There are eight categories of people who are eligible to receive Zakat:
  1. The poor
  2. Needy
  3. Administrators of Zakat
  4. Those whose hearts have been recently reconciled
  5. Those who have been enslaved
  6. Those in debt
  7. In the cause of God
  8. Travellers (including refugees)
As Allah (SWT) tells us in the Holy Qur’an: The Sadaqat (prescribed alms) are (meant) only to be given to the poor, the needy, to those employed to collect them, to those whose hearts are to be won, ¹⁹in the cause of the slaves and those encumbered with debt, in the way of Allah and to a wayfarer. This is an obligation prescribed by Allah. Allah is All-Knowing, Wise.

‘Hawl’ refers to a lunar year. E.g. When a person achieves the Nisab for the first time, then from this date till the same date in the next lunar year his ‘Hawl’ is complete.

For Zakat to be due, it is a condition for one lunar year to have passed. If one lunar year hasn’t passed on someone’s wealth, then Zakat is not due.

Yes, Zakat will be due at the time of Zakat due date for this amount. Even though a year hasn’t passed on having the amount. This is known as ‘Maal-e-Mustafaad’ in Shariah terms, as in wealth received midway through a year.

The midway of a year is not taken into consideration, but the zakat due date is considered. For example, you Zakat due date is the first of Ramazan , and before the first of Ramazan, your wealth decreased to below the Nisab, but on the coming of the first of Ramazan, your wealth met the Nisab criteria, then Zakat will be due. The drop earlier in the year beneath the Nisab criteria will not be considered

Yes, you will still be required to pay Zakat of 2.5%. For the payment of Zakat, ‘intention’ or ‘Niyyat’ is mandatory and common charity/donation cannot be considered as Zakat. Therefore, you are required to calculate your Zakat on your Zakat calculation date and then the calculated amount may be given to the identified Mustahiq-e-Zakat either in full or in tranches throughout the year, with the intention of that amount being considered as Zakat only.

For every year that you owe Zakat, take 2.5% from the total wealth you had at the end of that year and pay that in Zakat. If you are not sure how much wealth you had, you must estimate it to the best of your ability. For example, it is now Ramazan 2022. You have not paid Zakat for the last 5 years. You need to work out how much wealth you owned every Ramadan for the last five years and pay 2.5% of that.

There is no Zakat on the wealth of a minor.

The best way for you to do this would be to take the jewellery to a jeweller and ask them to value just the gold and silver parts of the jewellery. The valuations they give will be the total on which you have to pay Zakat. Precious stones are not liable for Zakat.

If money for Hajj has been paid and the place has also been confirmed, then there is no Zakat on this amount. But if the Zakat date falls before payment, then there will be Zakat due on this amount.

Yes, Zakat is due on this amount. But it is up to you – you can either pay Zakat on the amount each year, or when the money is received, you can pay for the previous years.

If your friend accepted that he had the debt and did not deny it, then Zakat is due on this amount. Calculate your zakat here

Yes, you can exclude this loan, but if your wealth increased by Zil-Qadah, then Zakat will be due on the extra amount as well.

In this scenario, there is no Zakat due on the house value. However, whatever rent was received, add this to your other wealth on which Zakat is due and pay the total due Zakat amount for the Zakat year. Also, there is no Zakat on the house until you sell it. Once you have sold the house and received the money, then there will be Zakat payable on that amount, if it remains in your possession till your Zakat due date.

Every year at the time of paying Zakat, you would need to calculate the total selling price for all the goods for sale in your shop. For example, all the clothes for sale in your shop add up to a total selling value of a particular sum of money. You would add this to your other wealth when calculating your total payment.

If you haven’t received the funds, then Zakat isn’t due. But if you have received the funds, Zakat is due.

This amount is the group’s collective ownership. Thus, each participant will pay Zakat on his/her share, or permission can be given to one person who will pay Zakat from the fund on behalf of everyone.

In Shariah terms, poor and needy is classified as someone who does not have the Nisab amount in their ownership. The meaning of Nisab here is 52.5 tolas silver or the equivalent of that in cash/gold, or extra to what is needed.

Zakat cannot be given to ‘Usool’ and ‘Furuu’. ‘Usool’ is parents, grandparents and so on. ‘Furuu’ is children, grandchildren and so on. Similarly, Zakat cannot be given to husband or wife. Besides this, Zakat can be given to other relatives.

If the orphan doesn’t possess the ‘Nisab’, and he isn’t a ‘Sayyid’, then he can be given Zakat. If he possesses something of the value of nisab, he cannot be given Zakat.

Zakat can only be given in those projects wherein possession is achieved of the Zakat amount. This means the person who can claim Zakat and is eligible for Zakat payment becomes the owner of the amount. Thus, to give food, clothing, medicine etc. to a poor person from the Zakat money is permissible. And those projects wherein ownership of the Zakat money is not achieved, Zakat cannot be given for example, spending in Masajid, digging wells etc.

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