Khoj Health Centre

Kot Mughal and the surrounding villages in tehsil Sharaqpur, district Sheikhupura in the province of the Punjab in Pakistan where the population is predominantly of small landholders or landless peasants had absolutely no health services, either by the public or the private sector. These crime-hit villages were deprived of even the most basic health care facilities. Basic Health Units run by the government are in Fattoo wala and Marh Bhanguan which are about 15-25 kilometers away from the cluster of these villages. Some of the villages do not have even the traditional mid wives. This leaves the villagers at the mercy of quacks or unqualified and inexperienced doctors. Women and children are most adversely hit. Absence of even a traditional midwife shows the gravity of the situation. In case of a complication in child birth the woman was taken to town on a tractor trolley. There were instances of delivery taking place on the way and children expiring.

Khoj decided to build a health center in order to Providing health education and health services to neglected communities of Kot Mughal and thirty villages with a focus on women and children’s health. And also the health of the local environment. . The central location of the village Kot Mughal became the reason for the selection of the site. It is directly connected to six villages and more than 15 villages are within 5-7 kilometer radius. A woman Shehnaz Bibi donated ¼ acre of land for the health center while others offered free labor and free accommodation and food for the workers involved in the construction work. The project was launched in December 2006. The construction of the health center was made possible through predominantly generous private individual donations. The Health Center building consists of a reception, an emergency, an 8 bed inpatient ward, 2 rooms for doctors, a testing laboratory, a store, a pharmacy and provision store, a toilet, a kitchen and a room fo the caretaker of he building.