ABSTRACT
Fatima Teaching Hospital provides basic surgical and medical facilities for rural population of Karachi. The hospital, being a project of the Baqai Foundation, provides these facilities at reduce costs. This article summarizes the costs of three basic procedures offered at Fatima Hospital. The hospital performed a total of 99 hernia repairs, 34 cholecystectomies and 24 hemorrhoidectomies over a 12 month period. The total cost paid by the patients for each, uncomplicated procedure, was 3390/-, 4010/- and 1600/- respectively. The contributions made by the Baqai foundation amount to be Rs 1000/- per patient per day. The overall contributions made by the Baqai Foundation over 1 year period for the three procedures was 297000/-, 170000/- and 87000/- respectively. Baqai Foundation is making significant contributions towards provision of basic medical and surgical facilities to the poor people of rural Karachi, at a much subsidized and affordable rates