A major new hospital taking shape in Mirpur, Azad Kashmir, is bringing together communities thousands of miles away, as supporters across the UK, United States and Europe rally behind efforts to improve access to healthcare in the region.
Construction of the KORT hospital has reached a significant milestone, with all ground-floor works now complete and the roof slab of the main hospital building finished.
The roof slab of the hospital’s car park has also been completed, marking another visible step towards turning the ambitious healthcare project into a working facility.
But while the physical building is rising in Mirpur, much of the effort to make it possible is taking place far beyond Azad Kashmir.
Across Britain, the United States and Europe, donors, volunteers and community groups have been gathering to raise funds and awareness – united by a shared ambition to create a lasting healthcare facility for families in Mirpur and surrounding areas.
A hospital closer to home
For people living across Azad Kashmir, accessing specialist or more comprehensive medical treatment can mean travelling considerable distances.
For patients already dealing with illness, those journeys can bring additional financial and practical pressures – not only for them, but for the families supporting them.
The proposed KORT hospital aims to bring essential healthcare services closer to the people who need them.
Although based in Mirpur, the facility is expected to serve patients from surrounding communities, potentially reducing the need for some families to make lengthy journeys in search of medical care.
For those behind the project, it means the development is about considerably more than bricks, concrete and construction.
It represents a long-term investment in healthcare and the wellbeing of communities across the region.
Support stretching across continents
Over the past two months, the campaign has gathered momentum through a series of fundraising and awareness events.
In the United States, gatherings have been held in Long Island, Baltimore, Springfield and other communities, allowing the project team to meet supporters and donors face-to-face, explain the plans for the hospital and raise funds towards its development.
The campaign has also been building support in Britain.
At the recent Newcastle Mela, the hospital project received a strong response from donors, supporters and members of the wider community.
The event allowed the team to speak directly to members of the public about what is being built in Mirpur, why the hospital is needed and how people thousands of miles away can play a part in making it happen.
That effort has spread further across Europe, with community engagement taking place in Italy, Norway, Germany and France.
Each event has carried the same message – that the hospital’s future will depend not only on construction taking place on the ground, but on communities continuing to get behind it.
UK campaign continues
The next stage will see the campaign travel to more towns and cities across the UK, with events planned in Coventry, Woking, Bristol and Rochdale.
The gatherings will give residents, donors and supporters an opportunity to hear more about the project, meet members of the campaign and find out how they can contribute.
The team hopes the events will build on the support already seen in the United States, Britain and elsewhere, while giving more people an opportunity to become directly involved.
KORT Hospital – more than a building
With construction advancing, fundraising remains critical to completing the project.
Supporters are being encouraged to contribute in whatever way they can – whether through donations, organising fundraising activities, attending awareness events or simply helping more people learn about the hospital.
The response so far has shown how a project being built in one part of the world can mobilise people living thousands of miles away.
As concrete is laid and the hospital begins to take physical shape in Mirpur, communities across several countries are helping to build something less visible but equally important – the network of support needed to make it a reality.
From the United States to the UK and across Europe, people are coming together around one shared aim: to create a lasting healthcare facility for the people of Mirpur and future generations across Azad Kashmir.
For further information about forthcoming KORT events, contact 0300 123 7774.
I’ve deliberately made the “hospital closer to home” section more human – focusing on what travelling for treatment actually means for patients and families – because that gives the story a stronger emotional reason for readers to care, without making it sound like promotional copy.
You can support KORT by making a donation
Lillah Account
20-49-11
43084736
SWIFT:BUKBGB22
IBAN:GB86 BUKB 20491143084736
Sadaqah Account
20-49-11
93309231
SWIFT:BUKBGB22
IBAN:GB79 BUKB 2049 1193 3092 31
Zakat Account
20-49-17
13444112
SWIFT:BUKBGB22
IBAN:GB56 BUKB 20491713444112
Hospital Account
20-49-17
50148857
swift:BUKBGB22
IBAN:GB86 BUKB 20491750148857
KORT’s Pakistan Bank details
Bank Address: Faysal Bank Limited, Opposite Quad E Azam Stadium, Mirpur, AJK-Pakistan
Pak Rupees – Zakat Account
Bank Name: FAYSAL BANK LIMITED
Account Name: Kashmir Orphan Relief Trust
Account No: 0116007900234455
IBAN:PK70FAYS0116007900234455
Swift Code: FAYSPKK0116
Branch Code: 0116
Pak Rupees- Sadaqah Account
Bank Name: FAYSAL BANK LIMITED
Account Name: Kashmir Orphan Relief Trust
Account No: 01160060003342
IBAN:PK65FAYS0001160060060003342
Swift Code: FAYSPKK0116
Branch Code: 0116
Pak Rupees – Hospital Account
Bank Name: FAYSAL BANK LIMITED
Account Name: Kashmir Orphan Relief Trust
Account No: 3467390000002217
IBAN:PK87FAYS3467390000002217
Swift Code: FAYSPKKA0116
Branch Code: 3467
