Tajammul Gurmani
Manchester
Int. Medical Relief Association (IMRA) celebrated its silver jubilee after completing 25 years and organised a community dinner at a local hall in Manchester. The organisation is run by a group of Pakistani physicians and surgeons, led by Dr Haroon Khan. They are working for the help of children who lost their hearing by birth and fitting cochlear implants for the restoration of hearing. The prominent speakers included Dr Haroon Khan, Dr Naveed Ahmed, Noreen Misbah and Attique Salik. A large number of people participated, including Dr Younas Parwaz, Dr Iqbal Naeem, Dr Naveed Aslam, Dr Noman Ehsan, Hafiz Abdullah, Mian M Younas, Dr Riaz Ahmed Siddiqui, Dr Ayaz Asghar, Hamad Raza, Zafar Rathore, Muhammad Safdar, Dr Abid Hussain, Pamila Malik and Muhammad Awais.
Dr Naveed, while giving a briefing, said they are providing cochlear implants free of cost to poor and needy children. “We have implanted 220 cochlear implants and this is the largest number in the world. We are also providing speech therapy after the procedure. This is a life-changing cycle and children can live a normal life for education and family.” He added that there are still thousands of children who have no access to this technology due to financial constraints. The cochlear implants are being provided in four cities of Pakistan, including Lahore, Karachi, Islamabad and Peshawar.
Misbah Noreen, Community Welfare Attaché at the Pakistan Consulate General, also praised the services of Dr Haroon Khan. Dr Haroon Khan thanked all the participants. The community event was followed by dinner.
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