News release

Vancouver dentist takes his skills, and his heart, to Pakistan

Vancouver (March 1, 2006) - Dr. Asef Karim of Vancouver recently returned from 2 ½ weeks in the earthquake region of Pakistan, where he pitched a tent, brought in supplies, and opened a make-shift dental clinic.

Dr. Karim, whose parents came to Canada from Pakistan, was reading stories about the earthquake disaster on the Internet before Christmas when he came across something that caught his attention. A group called Operation Heartbeat had set up a hospital field camp, dispensing medical aid to people left injured and ill by the quake. He says, "I thought at the time, 'This is something I'd like to be involved with.'"

He contacted Health Partners International of Canada (HPIC) and requested a Dental Travel Pack - a kit containing enough medicine and dental supplies, all donated by Canadian health-care companies, to treat 200 patients. "Everything I needed was in the DTP," he says.

When he arrived in Kashmir, Dr. Karim was struck by the devastation. "Kashmir is like a slice of heaven, it's so beautiful," he says. "But now the earth has been torn apart and it looks like a war zone."

He says he saw evidence of suffering everywhere. "Everybody has lost somebody. These people are naturally very beautiful, but now they look like the life has been sucked out of them."

Dr. Karim set up his temporary dental practice, with no running water or electricity, in a camp established by Operation Heartbeat in Garhi Dupatta, near Kashmir. He saw a steady stream of patients, including earthquake victims and army personnel.

Samarah, a 14-year-old girl who despaired of finding relief for the pain in her mouth, came to see him. After Dr. Karim had extracted a rotten tooth under local anesthetic, she looked at him and asked, "So when are you going to pull my tooth out?"

The demand for dental care during Dr. Karim's visit was an indication that there is a need for ongoing dental services in the region. "A hospital will be built here in the spring and now, because of our focus on dentistry, a dental clinic will eventually be a reality. The people really need it."

-30-

Health Partners International of Canada (HPIC) is a Canadian medical aid agency that provides medicines, vaccines and medical supplies, donated by Canada's health-care industry, to Canadian doctors and NGOs working in the developing world, and to countries that are in need of medical aid. HPIC has shipped more than $180 million (wholesale value) of medical aid to 111 countries since 1990.

About HPIC

Health Partners International of Canada is a humanitarian not-for-profit relief and development organization dedicated to improving access to medicine and enhancing health in the developing world. HPIC contributes to well-being by providing donated essential medicines, supplies and vaccines, building national health sector capacities, and responding to emergencies and health threats. We partner with a network of ministries of health, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and healthcare professionals, with pharmaceutical and healthcare product companies, and with Canadian government departments; and we count on the financial support of individual donors, foundations and corporations. Because of our unique model, HPIC multiplies every donated dollar to provide, without discrimination, at least $10 of free medical aid.

For more information contact:
Christina Parsons
Director, Corporate Communications
514-822-1112, ext. 119
email: