TDC aims to fight against Diabetes with care & resolve
Interview By Amjad Mehmood Photos By Ghulam Farid
Islamabad: Diabetes is one of the most common and ever-increasing, silently killing diseases in the world. According to the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) 10th Edition report published in 2021, about 537 million adults are living with diabetes worldwide. The report says globally more than one in 10 adults are now living with diabetes. Moreover, there is a growing list of countries where one-in-five or even more of the adult population has diabetes.
The IDF report noted that the countries with the largest numbers of adults with diabetes aged 20–79 years in 2021 are China, India, and Pakistan. Pakistan stands at 3rd number with 33 million diabetic people (in 2021) and considering the current increasing trend, this number is likely to reach 62.2 million by 2045. The data collected by the IDF show, about 8.9 million people in Pakistan are living with undiagnosed diabetes. The report also depicts the fact that in 2011, about 6.3 million people were affected by diabetes and in ten years’ time, this total reached 33 million mark in 2021. Diabetes remains a serious and growing challenge to public health and places a huge burden on individuals affected and their families. Globally, diabetes ranks among the top 10 causes of mortality. The countries with the highest proportion of total deaths associated with diabetes are Pakistan (29%) and Singapore (29%). Pakistan is the country with the highest proportion (35.5%) of deaths under the age of 60 due to diabetes. IDF report calculates that total diabetes-related health expenditure will reach one trillion US Dollars by 2030.
The figures are alarming and demand immediate attention from the governments and concerned departments of the health sector. The situation becomes more worrisome in a country like Pakistan where basic health facilities are inadequately available to the public. In such a scenario, a poor diabetic patient sacrifices over deteriorating health and reaches to quacks in the market. Thus, their disease and miseries manifolds and life feels like doom.
Amid this challenging situation, The Diabetic Centre (TDC) provides a sigh of relief by offering quality treatment of international standards to diabetic people in Pakistan. This aesthetically fabulous Centre is situated on the Murree Expressway near Phulgran Toll Plaza, Islamabad. Daily The Spokesman, arranged an exclusive interview of Mr Tahir M. Abbasi, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and member Board of Directors of The Diabetic Centre (TDC).Mr. Naveed Ahmad Khan ,Editor Daily The Spokesman and Shahzad Lodhi, Head of Marketing and RM,The Diabetes’ Centre also present during the interview.
Recalling his childhood aim to serve humanity, he said the idea to establish an international standard health facility for diabetic people in Pakistan was the brainchild of Dr. Asjad Hameed, (a British Pakistani) and he got the opportunity to join hands in this noble cause by donating the land for Centre and rendering his services. He said Dr. Asjad Hameed, Chairman of TDC, has envisioned the establishment of a Centre-of-Excellence to offer free treatment to diabetic people in Pakistan who are unable to afford the costly treatment.
Introducing The Diabetes Centre (TDC), Mr. Abbasi said TDC is a non-profit company registered in SECP under Section 42 of the Companies Act 2017 of Pakistan and certified by Pakistan Centre for Philanthropy (PCP). TDC provides compassionate and value-based treatment for diabetes and its related complications with a mission to be recognized as a global leader in improving the lives of people with diabetes, irrespective of their ability to pay, through medical care, education, research, innovation, and advocacy for cure and prevention of the disease. He said there are 11 members of the Board of Directors including expat Pakistani who are looking after the TDC functions on a volunteer basis. TDC is also registered as a Charity Organization in the United Kingdom, the United States and Australia. Mr. Abbasi informed that hundreds of generous Pakistani nationals are funding TDC regularly every year. He also added that TDC runs donation drives at national and international levels to meet the operational costs of the Centre. He said TDC partners providing medicines to the Centre also contribute to the cause and there are organizations which are aiding the TDC through their Corporate Social Responsibility (SCR) drives.
He briefed about the historical development of TDC, which started in 2012 as a Clinic with four doctors, a lab and a pharmacy. The current facilities at TDC have been fully functional since April 2018 and the Centre is providing quality health services to thousands of people suffering from this dread disease. He informed that TDC has Diabetes/ Endocrinology Consultations facility, kidney Care Clinic & Dialysis Centre, Foot Care Clinic, Cardiac Care Centre, Pregnancy Care Clinic, Eye Care Clinic, Orthotics & Podiatry Clinic, Tobacco Cessation Clinic, Male Healthcare Clinic, Peads Clinic, Laboratory & Radiology, Operating Room, Research & Development Centre, Education Centre, Pharmacy and Emergency Centre.
“TDC offers Int’l quality health facilities under one roof to diabetic people”
He said TDC is functioning on a 60% free and 40% paid model and all income is transferred to charity funds to provide the maximum free health facilities. Introducing further about treatment facilities at TDC, he said treatment protocols at TDC are equal for people who are paying the charges or availing of free health facilities on a charity basis. Talking about availing free treatment facilities, he said the needy people are required to pass through a friendly verification process, where a ‘Mufti’ is stationed at TDC who guides the patients about availing of ‘Zakat’ in the light of Islamic principles. After verification of genuineness, the patients are registered with TDC for treatment which includes consultations, pathology and medicines as long as people continue to visit the TDC. He said at TDC, we start treatment with complete body screening of visiting patients for a real-time assessment of the disease. Then on a quarterly basis, we repeat the essential tests of patients and reprise the body screening on yearly basis. He said since diabetes is a silent killer and carries associated complications, TDC ensures to provide all essential treatment and guidance to maintain the patient’s health quality.
On a question about the compatibility of prices with other hospitals, he said TDC ensures to keep the prices affordable in terms of consultancy charges, lab tests and medicines. Introducing the range of Physicians serving at TDC, he said we have the country’s top-class Physicians who have rich experience in their specialities and extend top-class services to patients. He said TDC labs are furnished with the world’s leading tech equipment and are recognized by the College of American Pathologists, USA for their accuracy and efficiency. He added TDC pharmacy offers a flat 7% discount on all medicines.
Talking about expansion, Mr. Abbasi said TDC is following the ‘Hub and Spoke’ model and they have earmarked the major cities and towns to extend the facility. The next coming-up Centres would be established at Lahore and Sahiwal in the next 2-3 years. He informed that TDC has a land donation in Charsadda as well while they are working on the feasibility to establish similar facilities at Rawalpindi, Faisalabad, Karachi, Quetta and in the other major cities in Pakistan.
On a question about the audit of funds, Mr. Abbasi said transparency of funds is paramount at TDC and they have a defined mechanism of internal and external audits of funds annually. Regarding funding management, he said TDC management plans to give maximum facilities to poor patients where sustainability and recovery of health are optimum and we identify the areas where TDC can offer treatment facilities within affordable costs for a longer period. Talking about research and development, training and education culture at TDC, he said we give special emphasis to these attributes as without matching the pace of modern treatment methodologies, our doctors, paramedics and young trainers cannot perform well.
“Generosity of Philanthropists for TDC would help in the mission of helping needy patients”
Mr. Abbasi said the arrangement of funds is a real challenge at TDC as recurring and operational costs are escalating every year and they aimed to continue providing charity-based free health facilities to poor patients coming from all over Pakistan. To continue this mission, he said, TDC needs continuous support from generous Pakistanis including expats.
In the end, Mr. Tahir M. Abbasi said Pakistan is passing through a testing time due to unprecedented floods and TDC, considering it a national duty planned to visit the flood-hit areas in Sindh from 5th October to provide health facilities through a team of Doctors, paramedics and volunteers.