Islamabad: Faysal Bank Limited, one of the leading Islamic banks in Pakistan, has joined hands with Pink Ribbon Pakistan, to support the organization’s efforts towards breast cancer and women’s health, in the country.
Having one of the highest percentages of female staff in the banking industry, Faysal Islami stresses on the importance of women healthcare and recently embarked on an internal breast cancer awareness drive for its female staff. While conducting a session on breast cancer awareness at Faysal Bank, Mr. Omer Aftab, the Founder & CEO of Pink Ribbon Pakistan, enlightened the staff on preventive techniques, such as regular checks and a healthy lifestyle, which can help decrease the risk of breast cancer.
Speaking on the occasion, Ms. Sarwat Zehra, Senior Executive at Faysal Islami (Branch Banking) and internal Champion of the Cause at Faysal Islami said, “The Bank has always placed the highest value on the well-being of its staff and its corporate social responsibilities at large. With the help of our association with organizations such as Pink Ribbon Pakistan, we hope to fight against the most pervasive threat to female health and play our part in improving the quality of women healthcare in Pakistan.”
On behalf of Faysal Islami, Ms. Zehra presented Mr. Omer Aftab with a cheque as a token of the Bank’s support for Pink Ribbon’s efforts. The Bank’s contribution will aid in the construction of an ultrasound room and purchase of equipment at the upcoming Pink Ribbon Hospital in Lahore that promises to have state-of-the-art diagnosis, free of cost treatment and counseling facilities for breast cancer patients.
Speaking at the event regarding the issues related to women healthcare in Pakistan, CEO of Pink Ribbon Pakistan, Omer Aftab, said, “Pakistan has the highest rate of breast cancer in the entire Asian region, with every 9th woman at high risk of developing breast cancer at any point in life. Due to a lack of awareness, social stigma attached to the disease, inadequate healthcare facilities, and poverty, most of the women are not even able to seek reliable treatment. Once completed, the hospital will serve about 40,000 women annually from all over Pakistan. We are grateful for the contributions made by Faysal Bank for this cause and we commend their efforts in promoting a healthier society.”