The strength of the Parsis in Pakistan is now down to nearly 900. Though the Karachi Parsi Anjuman Trust Fund (KPATF) subsidizes medical expenses for the Parsis of Pakistan, the Covid-19 pandemic and a rise in the aging population has caused the Trust to turn to other community endowments for support. "There were suddenly huge demands on the resources of KPATF,” stated Trust president Byram Avari. In the last four years since the medical cover was opened to all Parsis, patient visits at their Parsi Clinic have increased from 1,264 to over 1,600 in 2020, he reported.
Assistance was sought from the Kandawalla Trust, Sopariwalla Trust, Karachi Zarthosti Banu Mandal (KZBM), Jehangir Rajkotwalla Baugh Trust (JRBT), Hommie and Jamshed Nusserwanjee Charitable Trust (HJNCT) and Feroze and Shernaz Bhandara Charitable Trust (FSBCT).
Clockwise from top: Anjuman Bagh in Karachi that houses
the Parsi Clinic; Byram Avari; facilities at the Clinic
A patient seeking free treatment in Pakistan first needs to visit the Parsi Clinic operating from Anjuman Bagh (earlier known as Punchayat Wadi) in Karachi where he/she will be examined by the doctor on duty and issued an authority letter to visit one of the specialists on the KPATF panel. The consultation fee is settled by the KPATF on receiving the bill. Likewise, for surgery and ancillary treatment, patients are sent to three facilities in Karachi: Aga Khan University Hospital (AKUH), National Medical Centre, and Ziauddin Hospital, Clifton with their bills cleared directly by KPATF.
Thanks to earlier endowments created by the Kandawalla Trust and the Sopariwalla Trust, for some years AKUH granted 50% concession to Parsi patients and the balance amount was covered by the KPATF after verifying the records. Subsequently AKUH decided on a cap of PKR 3,00,000 (one Pakistani rupee (PKR) = Indian 45 paise) per patient. Avari pointed out that cancer patients who required treatment like chemotherapy had medical expenses exceeding a crore of rupees each. The KPATF hence approached Freny (Dolly) Irani who has taken up the matter up with AKUH as this concerns their family donation to AKUH.
While awaiting a favorable reply, KPATF approached KZBM that agreed to pay for all Covid patients and additionally sanctioned a sum of PKR 5,00,000 towards medical expenses.
The KPATF has tied up with pharmacist Kausar Medico to provide free medicines to deserving Parsi patients. Their annual billing in excess of PKR 30 lakhs is covered by the JRBT.
The radiology and laboratory expenses that were earlier being covered by the HJNCT would total approximately PKR 2,00,000 per year. In lieu of its earlier commitment, effective June 2020 the Trust has agreed to contribute PKR 18 lakhs towards medical and other expenses.
FSBCT has agreed to increase the monthly salary for one of the doctors of the Parsi Clinic from PKR 50,000 to PKR 55,000. Next year, subject to their cash flow, they are expected to donate an additional PKR 4,00,000 to assist the Parsi Clinic.
Last year Nali Dinshaw had given a donation of PKR 10 lakhs to the Parsi Clinic from the Khorshed and Nadirshaw Dinshaw Charitable Trust and another contribution of PKR 2,50,000 was received from Naval Vakharia. While the Anjuman remains committed to its decision to keep the Parsi Clinic open to all community members, "we leave it to the conscience of the well-to-do not to utilize this free facility,” Avari had stated earlier (see "Karachi’s cost-free clinic,” Zoroastrians Abroad, Parsiana, July 7, 2016).
The financially hard pressed Anjuman was faced with another major cost when the roof of the Seth Dossabhoy Merwanji Wadia Dar-e-Meher collapsed. This required them to practically rebuild the agiary which is over 100 years old at a cost of approximately one crore 50 lakh rupees. Donations of approximately one crore, 10 lakh rupees have been received from individuals and trusts, with the most generous amount of USD 30,000 (PKR 48,66,819) coming from the Zoroastrian Charity Funds of Hongkong, Canton and Macao. The repairs nearly completed, the Dar-e-Meher that permits entry to outmarried Zoroastrian ladies and their navjoted children is expected to re-open in November.