Introduction
The Flare panel had an interview with Rameeza Mueen, the CEO and co-founder of Transparent Hands. During the question and answer session, she shared that the organisation was founded in 2014 to deliver quality healthcare to Pakistan’s marginalised and underprivileged communities. The organisation provides complimentary medical and surgical services. Furthermore, Transparent Hands organises free medical camps in some of the nation’s most deprived, isolated, and rural regions.
Rameeza Mueen has been at the forefront of charitable initiatives in the healthcare sector and received the Tangha e-Imtiaz in 2018 for her valuable contributions.
Q&A Section (Question & Answer)
Flare: Kindly provide a brief introduction to Transparent Hands and its primary mission within Pakistan’s healthcare sector.
Rameeza Mueen: Founded in 2014, Transparent Hands aims to deliver quality healthcare services to the country’s vulnerable and economically disadvantaged populations. The organisation provides free medical and surgical treatments and also organises complimentary medical camps in Pakistan’s remote and underserved rural regions.
Flare: What inspired you to establish Transparent Hands, and how has the organisation developed since its inception?
Rameeza Mueen: The establishment of Transparent Hands was motivated by the necessity to connect patients who lack the financial means for life-saving medical and surgical procedures with donors who desire a transparent, easy, and reliable means to contribute. Beginning with a single panel hospital in Lahore, the organisation now reaches deserving patients throughout Pakistan via an expanding network of over 60 panel hospitals.
Flare: What significant healthcare challenges do under-served communities in Pakistan face, and how does Transparent Hands address them?
Rameeza Mueen: Key challenges include financial obstacles, insufficient healthcare infrastructure, and a shortage of specialised medical services. Transparent Hands combats these issues by providing free surgeries, organising medical camps, offering preventive care, and supporting maternal and child health initiatives, as well as disaster relief efforts.
Flare: Could you share some essential statistics concerning patients, surgeries, medical camps, consultations, and other healthcare services offered?
Rameeza Mueen: Since its inception in 2014, Transparent Hands has treated more than 400,000 patients, organised over 800 medical camps, and collaborated with more than 60 hospitals across Pakistan. The services offered encompass surgeries, consultations, medications, diagnostic tests, and preventive healthcare measures.
Flare: How does Transparent Hands determine which patients and communities are in the greatest need of medical support?
Rameeza Mueen: Patient evaluation is based on their medical requirements and financial situations. Transparent Hands’ team conducts surveys and research to pinpoint vulnerable, remote, underprivileged communities where individuals lack access to necessary medical care.
Flare: What significance do technology, digital platforms, and transparency methods hold in your fundraising and healthcare delivery model?
Rameeza Mueen: Transparent Hands utilises technology to facilitate connections between donors and verified patient cases via its crowdfunding platform. Donors are provided with access to patient details, treatment needs, and progress updates during the entire process.
Flare: How do you maintain accountability and transparency for donors about the usage of funds and patient care?
Rameeza Mueen: Information about patients, treatment needs, financial requirements, progress updates, and feedback post-surgery is communicated to donors. Accountability is further ensured through financial controls, comprehensive documentation, annual audits, and regular reporting.
Flare: Can you describe your primary current programmes and objectives, and are there plans for expansion into new regions or healthcare services?
Rameeza Mueen: Our key programs encompass pediatric surgeries, adult surgical and medical procedures, heart surgeries, medical camps, eye surgeries, hepatitis C treatments, preventive healthcare and awareness initiatives, flood relief camps, the Maternal and Child Health (MCH) initiative, and disaster relief efforts. Future goals involve establishing dedicated Mother and Child Care Centers, extending the reach of medical camps across more areas nationwide, and forging additional partnerships with hospitals.
Flare: Which hospitals, physicians, corporations, donors, governmental bodies, or international organisations can serve as partners to enhance your impact?
Rameeza Mueen: Transparent Hands forms partnerships each year with a range of hospitals, corporations, organisations, and institutions. This strategy enables the organisation to expand its treatment capacity, enhance healthcare accessibility, and increase its geographic influence.
Flare: What message do you have for readers, businesses, overseas Pakistanis and donors about supporting accessible healthcare?
Rameeza Mueen: Accessible quality healthcare is achieved when compassionate individuals and organisations collaborate. Every donation and partnership contributes to ensuring that individuals in need are not denied critical surgical and medical care due to financial limitations.
