Cricket star Shahid Afridi pitches in to back Dubai Covid clinic
A fitness centre built with a donation by Pakistani cricketer Shahid Afridi has become a lifeline for Dubai patients with long Covid.
The Pakistan Association clinic has treated more than 5,000 patients since opening in October, with growing demand for specialist care to help those hit hard by the virus get back on their feet.
Afridi – known in the game as Boom Boom because of his big-hitting heroics – endorsed the fund-raising project to develop the Dh20 million ($5.4m) centre with charity events.
The star cricketer raised and donated Dh1 million to the project, which allowed a sports fitness centre to open in his name.
It has become central to Covid patients’ recovery.
“We started this project of providing free medical camps every month in 2009,” said Dr Muhammad Nasim Sabir, a clinical microbiologist at the Pakistan Medical Centre.
“Since then we have served more than 30,000 patients with only community help. It is a service for anyone who cannot afford care, or whose insurance does not cover their treatment or medication.”
After installing isolation rooms to comply with new regulations, the clinic opened its doors to the public in October.
The centre has since come into its own, offering free support to those afflicted by the virus and who need physiotherapy they may not otherwise have been able to afford.
“We are trying to promote healthy living through our social media videos and medical consultations, as we know that is an effective way to avoid and survive Covid,” Dr Sabir told The National.
“The gym and rehabilitation unit has become very important in that. We were struggling to raise enough funds for the medical centre, so Shahid Afridi’s contribution was critical to the role this centre is playing.
“The Dh1 million donation paid for a gym, not just to help with rehab, but also as a revenue stream for the hospital.”
Money generated from gym memberships, which cost from Dh90 a month, are invested to subsidise health care. The gym has more than 90 members.
Treatment is either free or offered at about 80 per cent less than at most other hospitals.
A pool of 24 volunteer doctors treat uninsured patients, while 43 full-time staff manage daily operations.
About 90 per cent of donations come from the Pakistani community, but people of any nationality can seek treatment at the centre.
One Canadian woman, 84, spent 24 days in intensive care after developing Covid-19.
The woman, who did not want to give her name, said the rehabilitation allowed her to recover enough to fly home.
“I came to this clinic in a wheelchair and now I’m running, so it has been a really good experience,” she said.
“The doctor makes me work but it has helped me regain my strength. The whole concept of the gym and physiotherapy room has been perfect for my recovery.”
The centre has an annual operational budget of Dh3.8 million and aims to become self-sufficient within four years.
The Own a Brick campaign encouraged people to make donations of Dh200 to Dh1,000.
Clinical manager Dr Sadaf Ahmed volunteered for three months, working on Covid isolation wards for 92 days from late March last year.
“Rehabilitation from Covid is a learning process and we are only now beginning to understand the full impact on the general patient population,” she said.
“People have not been to see their doctor for some time and may have been living with high blood pressure or other potential problems like uncontrolled diabetes that can lead to kidney failure.
“Some have lost their jobs and would not otherwise be able to access health care without this centre.”