Mobile Medical Outreach Programme [MMOP]
Since 2009, the Mobile Medical Outreach Programme (MMOP) of St. Elizabeth Hospital Hyderabad has provided regular, effective, professional, compassionate and free health care to many impoverished Christian, Muslim, Hindu and tribal people who are bonded agricultural workers in Sindh province in south-east Pakistan. MMOP is their sole medical provider. All live precariously.
In addition to providing free immediate primary healthcare, MMOP refers patients for further care to St Elizabeth Hospital in Hyderabad and hospitals in Karachi. St. Elizabeth accepts financial responsibility for this and monitors all such cases through its nursing staff.
Access to primary health care in rural Pakistan is limited; poverty makes it almost impossible. Official government statistics show that public sector health expenditure which includes federal and provincial governments decreased to just 1% of GDP (Gross Domestic Product).
The statistics for St Elizabeth’s Mobile Medical Outreach Programme from January to December 2023 are impressive. In 181 villages, 56,554 patients were examined by doctors and received necessary free medicine of the highest quality. 14,138 were children under five years. Through MMOP, patients received follow-up medical care.
The MMOP team includes two doctors, three nurses, one midwife, and two assistants for patient recording and pharmacy.
They work in collaboration with St Elizabeth’s Director of Nursing, the Infection Control Officer and the Home-based Palliative Care nursing team. Final year students from St Elizabeth Midwifery Training School presented healthcare information sessions. Topics included the Extended Programme of Immunization, rehydration procedures, fulfilling dietary needs in situations of financial distress, breast cancer, oral cancer, care of neo-natal infants, and local means of purifying drinking water.
The generosity of donors enabled us to purchase a new Toyota Fortuner vehicle for the Mobile Medical Outreach work. MMOP gives village-based health care with the team travelling through semi-desert areas on difficult roads. Travelling plus giving healthcare takes an average of 5 hours every day. The MMOP team goes out four time every week.
The Mobile Medical Outreach Programme provides totally free healthcare to those in greatest need. St Elizabeth Hospital depends 100% on the generosity of donors to maintain the work of MMOP. We urgently need assistance and donations to continue this work for people in great need. All donations are fully tax deductible.
