Our Story
The Hemophilia Patients Welfare Society (HPWS) - Rawalpindi was founded in 1991 as a non- profit organization and registered under the Voluntary Social Welfare Agencies Registered and Control ordinance, 1961 (XLVI of 1961) in 2003. It is a dynamic voluntary, non- profit philanthropic organization established for people with Hemophilia, supported by the collective efforts of a group of dedicated and committed volunteers, medical specialists, hemophilia patients and their relatives .
The absence of medical treatment, preventive as well as curative causes immense problems, emotional as well as financial, for patients and their families. The HPWS - Rawalpindi was initially setup with the idea of helping Hemophilia patients from Rawalpindi and Islamabad . However, within a short span, patients started coming from surrounding towns and villages, Gilgit , Baltistan, Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) .
The Chapter has developed a network with NGOs and other organizations supporting similar initiatives for the prevention, management and rehabilitation of patients with inherited bleeding disorders.
HPWS - Rawalpindiprovides free professional advice and medical assistance at very nominal rates to hemophilia patients. Due to linkages in Rawalpindi and Islamabad our patients get admitted easily in Haemophilia Friendly Hospitals such as Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) Holy Family Hospital and District Headquarters Hospital. A strong component of the advice given is not only what to do in emergencies and how to prevent complications but also how to reduce the occurrence of Haemophilia in their families. In the process of treatment the Society realized the need for going beyond hemophilia, and an emphasis was also put on community mobilization and awareness raising with enrolment of volunteers so that the community is made aware of all kinds of blood disorders including HIV/AIDS and related health issues included mother and child health .
The Chapter also has strong links with other Chapters in the country and with the World Federation of Hemophilia (WFH) based in Montreal, Canada.