Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages.

health for all,
a humanitarian imperative

Tharparkar district in Sindh is ranked as one of the lowest in the country with regards to health indicators. It continues to make headlines for the high number of maternal and child deaths due to malnutrition and poor health care. Lack of health education and the practice of early marriages lead to girls giving birth starting as early as age 12. The current Maternal Mortality Rate is as high as 297/100,000 live births while the Infant Mortality Rate is as high as 87/1000 live births.

Malnutrition and stunted growth are by products of poverty, negligence and lack of awareness in terms of community healthcare. In addition, due to its desert environment, Thar is frequently in danger of a drought.

For the sustainable development of Thar, the Foundation’s goal is to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for people of all ages. It aims at to improveimproving health indicators in the desolate Thar region with long term sustainable interventions. In order to do this, Thar Foundation’s main partner in implementing its health programs is The Indus Hospital, Karachi.

In underdeveloped and remote regions like Thar, great determination, passion and resolve is needed to bring about improvements. The Thar Foundation and Indus Hospital are working tirelessly to bring much needed change for the people of Thar and their better health. Thar Foundation aims to make Islamkot a model Tehsil for health conditions and facilities in Sindh – a model that can be followed by others.

marvi clinic

A basic OPD facility for mothers and children, by the name of Marvi Clinic was also established in has been in operation since 2015. Our flagship intervention, Marvi Clinic, has improved the lives of thousands of Thari women and children. Clinic operations are managed by The Indus Hospital through the Indus Hospital Network and are focused on providing primary health care.

Clinics under this flagship program are established considering different aspects so that best part of the surrounding communities could benefit from the free medical services. It is constructed near the vicinity of project interventions at a point where it could cover a radius of 20-30kilometers. Thar Foundation has worked with its implementation partner the Indus Hospital Network to ensure presence of female doctors across all its medical interventions in the community. Moreover, the clinics also provide free of cost EPI facilities, laboratory tests and numerous outreach programs aimed at providing access to better healthcare. Some of these programs include free vaccination, cardiac health camps, pediatric consultation camps, awareness sessions of preventive healthcare and disorders amongst others. As part of our outreach efforts all residents of Thar Block II have been screened for diseases such as TB, Hepatitis B and C with diagnostic treatment under way for patients tested positive for the said disease. Currently the Marvi Clinic is operational at two sites – the Thar Block II and Gorano with a total coverage of approximately 50-60 kms.

Understanding the importance of community health, the clinic also has a specialized outreach team. This disseminates health awareness as well as holds specialized sessions on seasonal and preventive healthcare.

250-bed thar foundation
hospital, islamkot

As a longer-term goal towards contributing to SDGs, Thar Foundation has plans to construct and operate a 250-bed hospital in Islamkot town – the main hub of commercial activity in Thar.

The hospital will be a collaborative project between The Indus Hospital and Thar Foundation.

The hospital facility will:

  • Focus on Mother and Child Health Care and other medical facilities relevant to the needs of the area.
  • Be linked with Indus Hospital at Badin and Karachi for emergency and advanced treatments ensuring a swift referral system.
  • Be constructed and functional, in stages, by end of 2020
  • Be actively seeking funding partners and donors
  • Launch its first phase of 82-bed hospital by the end of 2018

To fulfill our promise of a better healthcare provision for all Tharis, the Thar Foundation Hospital will strive to be the most efficient and affordable tertiary care hospital across Thar.

mobile clinics and
auxiliary programs

The Thar Desert’s vast terrain is sparsely populated, and clinics are only accessible to a few. In order to ensure that medical care is provided to all, Thar Foundation is developing mobile clinics. Each is to be fully equipped with state-of-the-art equipment and a dedicated team. This will ensure penetration in even the remotest communities, without having to invest in infrastructure and clinic development. Thar Foundation’s first mobile clinic will be operational in Islamkot Tehsil by end of 2018.