By Syma Sayyah, Tehran

As part of my work for Popli Khalatbari Charitable Foundation (PKCF), I have come to know many interesting people and places.   As the Iranian New Year approaches, I am writing these so that Payvand readers can learn how much good work is being done by good people who think of others and try to help them without asking for anything.   The will to do good is a true Iranian characteristic which is still thankfully at large and at least some of those less fortunate and in need benefit from these admirable ongoing deeds. 

Part I:  Hazrat-e Seyed-Al Shohada Charity Hospital

On a rainy Friday morning we went to visit the Hazrat-e Seyed-Al Shohada Charity hospital which is about 100 meters from the Tehran Bazaar. This hospital operates under the supervision of the Tehran Shahid Behesthi University Medical Department, one of Tehran’s most prestigious universities.

Most of the board of trustees was there to meet us.  Almost all of them are successful businessmen from the Tehran and most of them work in the main bazaar.  We met Dr Seyed Javad the head of the hospital as well as Mr Labaff-the head of the Board of trustees, Dr Adokhet, Mr Purhayvanie, Mr Roustanie and Mr Akbattagha

The hospital has been in process of expanding ever since it started as a small clinic some 27 years ago when a few of the good men of the Bazaar got together and built this clinic on land that Hajj Agha Kashanipour had donated.  The hospital currently has 100 beds now on eight floors, and has all the sections you would expect from a major general hospital as well as some further services like dentistry.   The hospital has repeatedly received the government certificate of merit of being a first rate hospital.  The board plans to increase the number of beds to 300 with a new 9 floor unit.

We were taken to all the floors, and on several occasions we went inside the wards and talked to staff and patients. There are general surgery wards, special women and children wards, heart and orthopedics, eye, and ear, nose and throat departments. The hospital runs a very busy and successful day care centre as well as a walk-in clinic for all kinds of ailment. The hospital has a first rate laboratory as well as very modern units for X-ray, mammography and sonography, and ECG testing for heart patients. There is a very large pharmacy where patients can obtain their needs at the lowest possible cost.

I was impressed with the new section CCU and ICU as well as a state of art Eye department which are to be opened very soon.

I would like to inform the readers that the average private hospital charges are about 100 million rials for an average operation, and a government hospital may charge about 25 million rials; but at this charity hospital they charge only about 10 million rials. The dentistry charges are even lower comparatively.

The hospital hires top doctors in order to maintain high quality of care and service and pays these doctors subsidies in order to retain them.

Clinic Working hours is 8 a.m. to 12p.m. week days and 8 a.m. -12 noon Fridays and public holidays

Address: Tehran, Bazaar Chaharah-eGalobandak, Tel. 55801619-20 and Fax 55627950