- Existing facilities likely to be updated with latest state-of-the-art machines
Interview with Mr Najmus Saquib Hameed — Honorary Chairman of LRBT
PAGE: Tell me something about yourself and LRBT, please.
Najmus Saquib Hameed: I am the Honorary Chairman of LRBT. I’ve spent my career working with leading global organizations and have led companies and teams both in and out of Pakistan. Since the past 19 years, I have been serving in various capacities at the LRBT, and for the past 8 years as Chairman. This has been the most rewarding of all my roles throughout my career.
The work that LRBT is doing is nothing short of a miracle. We provide free eye care for the underprivileged and are the largest organization in Pakistan to do so. LRBT, effectively, is the backbone of eye care in Pakistan. With 19 hospitals in 17 cities, and around 60 service centers, we have developed a treatment network accessible to most Pakistanis at being most a 3-hour bus ride from one of our facilities.
The only income stream of LRBT is donations and zakat. We rely on the generosity of corporate and individual donors to meet our expenses. Our expenses this year are estimated to be Rs. 2.6 billion and all of it, inshaAllah, will come from our generous donors.
PAGE: What is your perspective about charity?
Najmus Saquib Hameed: We are an organization that is able to provide the highest levels of eye care because of the Zakat/donations we receive. For LRBT, charity is the lifeblood of the system. Islam has a very efficient and equitable system of wealth distribution. A significant portion of our income comes from Zakat, which is mandatory for all Muslims. We receive Zakat contributions from not just resident Pakistanis, but also from non-resident Pakistanis. That demonstrates a high level of trust in us and the work that we are able to do for our brothers, sisters and children. Therefore, through this excellent system in-built in our religion, our society is able to benefit greatly.
One thing to note while mentioning religion – we are 100% Shariah compliant and we take pains to ensure that all Zakat goes towards the treatment of ‘mustahaqeen’ as defined in the Islamic law.
PAGE: Could you tell me about the monetary requirements of LRBT over the course of next one year?
Najmus Saquib Hameed: As I mentioned, our entire income is charity-based and in these inflationary times, our expenses are sky-rocketing. Especially in the field of ophthalmology where procedures and medicines need to be of very high quality. Each year our expenses shoot up significantly and this year that estimated number is PKR 2.7 billion (USD 9.6 million).
PAGE: Could you tell us about donation and zakat sent by Pakistani diaspora?
Najmus Saquib Hameed: The Pakistani diaspora is one of the largest diaspora communities in the world. Many of these individuals and families send their donations and Zakat to LRBT to help with our mission of eliminating curable blindness. LRBT has presence in North America & UK.
PAGE: How are charitable organizations being helped by the government?
Najmus Saquib Hameed: As an organization, we welcome donations and Zakat from all quarters. However, the vast majority of the contributions come from individuals, NGOs both local & International and organizations. Furthermore, our organization often needs to put up marketing material to educate the public and elicit donations. The government can help us facilitate these further with Grants. The Sindh Government gives a grant of Rs 8o million per year but we receiver little if anything from other governments.
PAGE: Could you elaborate on the expansion strategy of LRBT?
Najmus Saquib Hameed: At the moment, LRBT is serving 3 million patients annually and this number will continue to grow given the growth rate of our population. Our expansion strategy is strictly need-based and also hinges upon the availability of funds. We are in the process of constructing a new Hospital at Rahim Yar Khan in Southern Punjab which will commence functioning in July next year. We will also be enriching our existing facilities through updating our equipment with latest state-of-the-art machines. Our donors are the best resource for this sort of expansion.