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GROWING TO SERVE MORE

In Pakistan where dealing with polio or epidemics such as dengue and hepatitis C has been quite troublesome, tackling Covid-19, a once-in-a-century scale pandemic has become a daunting task considering the abysmal condition of the health sector. Characterized by lack of proper infrastructure along with a very limited budget — one of the lowest in the region — the healthcare system brought an unprecedented strain both on public and private sector hospitals and clinics across the country. From an acute shortage of testing and medical supplies to issues in access among rural and underserved populations, the Covid-19 pandemic has blaringly proved the failure of the provision of timely and quality healthcare.

As Pakistan continues to grapple with the pandemic, the Indus Health Network (IHN), as a torch bearer for quality and free healthcare in Pakistan has played a leading role from the onset of Covid-19 pandemic. Committed to bring a paradigm shift in healthcare delivery system, the network has been working on establishing a healthcare system that is better equipped to tackle such pandemics without compromising on regular healthcare services. The network consists of 12 hospitals (out of which four are owned and managed by IHN and eight are only managed by IHN under the umbrella of public-private partnership), four regional blood centers, four physical and rehabilitation centers, Pakistan’s largest Paediatric Oncology Services Unit, a network of primary care centers and a large number of public health initiatives in 52 districts across Pakistan.

With staggering increase in the volumes of patients coming to The Indus Hospital, Korangi Campus in Karachi (TIH), the management took a key strategic decision and decided to expand its facilities and services across Pakistan. In view of this decision, the Network initiated two major projects: Expansion of the current 300 bed Korangi Campus in Karachi to a 1,000- bed facility equipped with all clinical and allied health services under one roof; and construction of a new 600-bed tertiary care hospital in Lahore — The Indus Hospital, Qarshi Foundation and Naimat Saleem Trust (QF and NST) Campus.

The Indus Hospital, Korangi Campus in Karachi is the flagship hospital of the Network. Once completed, this hospital will be one of the largest free-of-cost hospital in the private healthcare sector of Pakistan. With the success of managing public hospitals in partnership with the Government of Punjab, the management initiated the plan to construct IHN’s fully owned 600-bed tertiary care facility in Lahore — The Indus Hospital, QF and NST Campus. The Campus will have modern medical facilities such as oncology, endoscopy, gynecology, cardiology, dialysis center, diagnostic imaging, accident and emergency, and other medical services. The project is to be completed in three phases and it is estimated that more than one million patients per year will benefit from the free and quality health services. The initial phase of the project includes OPD, emergency and surgical wards with 92 beds and is targeted to be completed by early next year (subject to achieving fund-raising targets).

Supporting these tertiary hospitals and reaching out to communities that have no or poor access to basic quality healthcare services, a network of primary care centers is also being established across Pakistan under the mandate of the public health arm of IHN, the Global Health Directorate. Currently, it manages 23 primary care facilities across the country.

IHN has a mandate of being innovative and finding cost-effective solutions for the provision of basic health services. A container-based clinic is one such unique cost-effective solution that addresses the health needs of Pakistan’s rural population, which is majorly characterized by long distances to healthcare facilities that cause individuals to forgo basic healthcare needs. The facility can be dismantled and reassembled, customized, extended and expanded, considering the healthcare needs of the population. These portable clinics are designed after a thorough needs assessment of areas. Factors such as population density, accessibility to other health facilities, operational capacity, the local disease burden and community needs are analyzed.

The first container facility was launched and is now fully functional at Khorwah Chowk, Badin district in Sindh. The clinic can facilitate upto 200 patients per day with free-of-cost services. The second container facility has been launched at Shadi Larg, another very remote area of district Badin.

To reach some of the more far-flung areas in Lower Sindh and Lower Punjab, IHN plans to establish more of these container clinics, mobile clinics and boat clinics to help make basic healthcare accessible to millions of people, mitigating their barriers to healthcare accessibility.

Another factor for the poor healthcare service delivery in Pakistan is the unavailability of qualified and well-trained healthcare professionals. In response to this grieving issue, IHN plans to establish a state-of-the-art Indus University of Health Sciences (IUHS). The University is planned to start in the fall of 2022 with the following six colleges: Indus College of Nursing and Midwifery; Indus Medical College; Indus College of Allied Health; Indus College of Physical Rehabilitation; Indus College of Dentistry; and Indus College of Public Health. When fully functional, IUHS will have a total enrolment of 2,500 students adding trained high quality healthcare professionals to Pakistan’s workforce which will become a yearly contribution towards the human capital pool of Pakistan.

IHN is invested in community health and well-being initiatives to improve the overall health of the people it serves. Pakistan and the rest of the world still continues to tackle the ongoing health crisis, but if this is used as an opportunity to reshape the healthcare delivery system by governments, policymakers, and healthcare providers, then that would be the silver lining in this pandemic.

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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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