The Consulate-General of Japan arranged the ODA Press Tour

Karachi: The Consulate-General of Japan in Karachi organized an Official Development Assistance (ODA) Press Tour in which a group of journalists from various media houses participated. The purpose of the ODA Press Tour was to increase the people of Pakistan awareness of Japanese Government’s assistance projects in Pakistan, thereby informing the local media about Japan’s contribution towards Pakistan’s development in key sectors such as education, healthcare sector and human security.

The journalists, accompanied by the Consulate staff, visited two project sites in Karachi that have benefited from Japan’s Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Projects (GGP). GGP is a grant scheme of the Japanese Government, for the development projects aimed at improving the social well-being of the people at the grassroots level. Japan has funded more than 400 projects in Pakistan under the GGP since 1989.

The first stop was Help International Welfare Trust (HIWT), located in Gulistan-e-Jauhar. The HIWT was established in 1994 and has been providing free thalassemia treatment and care in Karachi since 2012, with a focus on underprivileged communities. The center serves not only Karachi, but also patients from interior Sindh and Baluchistan, including the areas affected by the 2022 floods.

Although the awareness of thalassemia has increased in recent years, the availability of blood for transfusion and the improvement of intensive care units are urgent issues. Through the GGP, Japan provided medical equipment (Cell Separator and BIPAP machine) for the blood Transfusion and intensive care unit (ICU) at the HIWT Thalassemia Care Centre in 2024.

The second site visited by the group was Al-Mustafa Medical Centre, operated by Al-Mustafa Welfare Society, in Gulshan-e-Iqbal. The center has been providing affordable health care services in different medical fields for many years. The medical fees at the Centre are 70% lower than private hospitals, and hundreds of patients visit this center daily. Japan provided surgical equipment to the center in 2009 and digital radiology in 2018, which benefits 80 patients each day on average. The provision of advances medical equipment, including radiology devices, has significantly improved the quality and efficiency of emergency medical care.

At each site, journalists gained firsthand insights into how these projects are positively impacting the lives of the people of Karachi and beyond.