IT ALL started on a hot suffocating afternoon in the first week of August 1951. And, amazing, it started in the T.B. Ward of Lahore’s Mayo Hospital. About a dozen T.B. patients – with not much hope to survive the white Scourge, as was the case in those days – decided to celebrate the Independence Day in their ward.

Dr. Riaz Ali Shah Medical Officer of the T.B. Ward and eminent social workers was greatly impressed with the spirit of these patients. He not only helped and guided them but also made a generous monetary contribution was a great success. It was widely acclaimed, and the T.B. Ward was adjudged to be the fifth best decorated place in the city of Lahore.

From this modest beginning there was no turning back for these spirited patients. By the grace of God all of them were cured of their malady and they devoted their regained energies to fight this dreaded disease. Dr. Riaz Ali Shah was always at their elbow to channel their Independence Day euphoria into a formidable anti – T.B. movement. The ex-patients meant business; they were serious in their mission. And they had because about four year back to similar efforts had proved futile. Raja Ghazanfar Ali Khan’s National Tuberculosis Association, formed in November 1947. Had not advanced beyond its inaugural stage and the Karachi – based Pakistan National Tuberculosis Association, formed a few months later, became dormant after a couple of meetings. These two bodies failed to deliver the goods mainly because they were lacking in VOLUNTARY touch. The ex-patients of Mayo Hospital’s T.B. Ward could not afford to fumble or fail. So before launching their movement they held a number of meetings to discuss that they were what they were to do and how. After a great amount of preparatory work, there came into being the first regular voluntary anti-T.B. organization known as the West Pakistan T.B. patient’s welfare Association.

On September 25, 1955, the Association held its first meeting at the residence of Mr. Saeed–ur–Rehman, an ex T.B. patient. It elected Dr. Riaz Ali Shah as its first President. Although not present on the occasion, the worthy Physician accepted the office with good grace and agreed to place at the disposal of the Association his time and professional skill. The anti-T.B. movement generated interest in the public and attracted leading social workers and doctors in its fold. Noteworthy amongst them were Dr. A.H. Awan, Mrs. C. Taseer, Mian khadim Hussain Butt, Dr. Shafiqur Rehman Khan, Mian Fazal-i-Ahmad, Gegum G.A. Khan, Begum Zari Sarfraz, Sh. Niaz Ahmad, Dr. Miss Rifat Rashid and many others. It was felt that in order to have an effective ant-T.B. Movement, there was an urgent need for associating voluntary workers with it as the government could not fight the menace of T.B. alone. The Association approached Mohtrama Miss Fatima Jinnah, and requested her to become the,partner in chief of the Association. She graciously accepted that and also made a generous donation of Rs. 5,000 a big in those days. Sardar Abdul Hamid Dasti, the then health Minister of West Pakistan, became the patron. A convention was held at the university Hall, Lahore, which was attended by a cross section of the people. One special feature of the convention was the poetic Exhortation was he poetic exhortation of Ustad Damam, the well-known Punjabi poet, calling upon the people to come forward, help and supports the Association in its glorious fight against T.B.

With the establishment of the Association, rules and regulations, articles and memorandum of the Association were framed and approved. The first Executive Committee consisted of 17 members of which three were Doctors, nine ex-T.B. patients and five distinguished persons from various walks of life. Slogans to be used in health education and publicity campaign were also coined. Some of them were “Tuberculosis is preventable curable”,“Prevention is better Than cure”,“Self-help in the best help”.

The Association was confronted with numerous obstacles and problems. It had no funds, not even office accommodation. Initially, the members (ex-T.B. patients) used to hold their meetings on the lawn in front of the T.B. Ward of Mayo Hospital. Later, Col. Ilahi Bakhsh, the then Principle of King Edward Medical College, allowed them to use Professors’ Room in KEMC as office after College hours. The Association acquired its first regular accommodation for office at Rehman Manzil, Napier Road, Lahore. As the Association’s financial status improved, it acquired a plot of land in Gulberg from the Lahore Improvement Trust for setting up its office. On this plot, a commercial building was constructed which apart from having shops also had adequate space for office premises of the Association. After the break-up of one unit, this building was taken over by the Punjab T.B. Association.

The prime object of the Association was to provide free diagnostic and medical facilities to the T.B. patient and ensure the rehabilitation of cured patients in society. Funds were, needed for this gigantic task, and it was resolved to collect them through donations from philanthropists, contributions and sale of Eid T.B. seals. Dr. Riaz Ali Shah, as usual, was the first to make a generous contribution. The idea of contributions from the people through the sale of Eid T.B. seals was mooted by Dr. Riaz Ali Shah and Dr. A.H. Awan. Mr. Anwar Ghouri, an eminent artist and ex-T.B patient, prepared the first design of the seals.

The first Eid T.B seal sale campaign was launched on July 13. 1956. On this occasion, Fatima Jinnah issued a special message from the Flag staff House. Dr. Khan sahib, the then Chief Minister of West Pakistan, inaugurated the campaign at a special function which was addressed, among others, by Miss. Deborah B Pentz, U.N. Consultant on social work. From this campaign the Association collected Rs. 7,443. The second Eid T.B seal sale Campaign was launched on April 30, 1957. It was inaugurated by Lt.-Gen Mohammad Azam khan, General Officer Commanding of Lahore Area. When Gen. Azam Khan was approached by Dr. Riaz Ali Shah in this connection, he was hesitant and remarked that he was a solider and had no connection with T.B. To this Dr. Riaz Ali Shah Whom you can see. Our enemy is a hidden one and more dangerous than the one you fight. On hearing this reply, the General accepted the invitation. This time the seals were also sold amongst the Army Officers and Jawans, and the collections amounted to Rs. 20.991. Thereafter, the campaign became an annual feature at each Eid-ul-Fitr. The last one was inaugurated by Miss Shaheen Attiq-ur-Rehmam, and the Association collected Rs. 5 lakh through the sale of T.B seals.

To provide free diagnostic and treatment facilities to the general public and T.B patients, it was decided to establish public chest clinics. The first clinic was set up on March 31. 1957. In the congested area of Nisbet Road, Lahore. At the time of opening of the first public chest clinic the Association did not have adequate funds to equip the clinic. Dr. Riaz Ali Shah again came to the Association’s help: he donated his X-Ray plant to it. Another donor contributed laboratory equipment and Malik Muhammad Aslam, one of the founder-members, provided furniture. Dr. Syed Iqbal Zaheer-ud-Din and Dr. Abdul Wahid eminent doctors in the field of T.B. and students of Dr. Riaz Ali Shah offered their free services. Within six months of the opening of the first public chest clinic, the association was able to set up the second clinic at Farooq Ganj, another backward area of Lahore. To inaugurate this clinic, Miss Fatima Jinnah specially came over from Karachi on November 29,1957. In her inaugural address, she called for a relentless war against tuberculosis. She urged the Association to reach out to every town and city of Pakistan and treat the patients near their homes. At this occasion, she also donated Rs. 10,000 to the Association.

Thereafter, clinics were opened at many places in the country. The city of Lahore alone has four public chest clinics. All these are well-equipped and provide free diagnostic and treatment facilities to the T.B. patients. As many as 32 clinics are functioning in the Punjab; there are two T.B. hospitals, one at Faisalabad and the other at Daska, serving the local patients under their respective T.B. associations.

The West Pakistan T.B. Association, which was born at Lahore, opened its branches in almost every district. Mr. Zahid Ali Khan, one of the founder members of the association, was entrusted with this task. Through his efforts a branch was opened at Layallpur (Faisalabad0 and Mian Fazal-i-Ahmad was elected its president. A branch at Peshawar under the president ship of Begum Zari Sarfraz was also set up. Incidentally, at that time, Dr. A.H.Awan, a member of the Executive Committee of the Association, was posted as provincial Medical Officer (T.B.) n the provincial Health Directorate. He managed to convince the Director of Health Services that all District Health Officers should assist and guide the local people in the formation of T.B. association in their respective districts. Mr Zahid Ali Khan, Provincial Community Organizer of the West Pakistan Tuberculosis Association, also assisted the DHOs in the formation of district T.B. associations.

Initially, the funds generated from the Lahore District were being spent for starting, managing and organizing, various district T.B. associations. With the establishment of branches in almost every district of the province, it was decided to have a separate district of the province, it was decided to have a separate district branch for Lahore so that the funds collected from Lahore could be utilized exclusively on the treatment and rehabilitation of T.B. patients belonging to Lahore District. As such, the Lahore District T.B. Association came into being in December 1958 and clinics which were being run by the West Pakistan T.B. Association came under the control of the Lahore District Tuberculosis Association. Similarly, it was decided that fund collected by the other district branches would be spent on the welfare and treatment of patients living in those district. However, in order to finance and continue the activities of the parent association, all distract branches were told to contribute to it 10% of their income through the sale of Eid T.B seals and in lieu thereof WPTB was to provide them the T.B seals, health education material and technical guidance.

In 1955. The Karachi T.B patients Welfare Association also came into being. It set up clinics. Rehabilitation centers in various localities of Karachi and established its office.

At this stage of development the voluntary workers felt an acute need for a National Tuberculosis Association for providing consultative services and for coordinating their activities. The credit of its formation goes to the West Pakistan Tuberculosis Conference at Lahore in January 1959. and invited delegates from all the existing tuberculosis Associations. at its inaugural session, which was presided over by Justice Mohammad Munir. The then Chief justice of Pakistan, a formal resolution for convening a meeting for the formation of National Tuberculosis Association of Pakistan was moved by Lt.-Col.S.M.K. Mallick, Health Adviser to the Government of West Pakistan, and was adopted by the house. A general convention of the representatives from the East Pakistan T.B. Association (which had been formed as a result of the efforts of Mr. Zahid Ali khan in 1958) , the Karachi T.B. Patients welfare Association and the West Pakistan . Tuberculosis Association was held on January 26.1959. at KEMC hall, Lahore., and the constitution of the National Tuberculosis Association of Pakistan was unanimously adopted. Dr. Riaz Ali Shah, Dr. A.H Awan, and Mr. Khadim Husain Butt were elected President, General Secretary and Treasurer respectively.

in the beginning, the office and personnel of the West Pakistan Tuberculosis Association were used for carrying out the activities of the National Tuberculosis Association of Pakistan. The West Pakistan Tuberculosis Association also gave a grant of Rs.5000 to NTAP to enable it to meet its expenditures. But soon the need for separate staff was felt. Mr. Zahid Ali Khan, and Mr. Abdul Hamid Lone were appointed Executive Secretary and health Educator respectively.

Miss Fatima Jinnah, Chief Patron of the West Pakistan Tuberculosis Association was approached to honor the National Tuberculosis Association of Pakistan by accepting to become its Chief Patron. She accepted this request and as in the past, donated Rs. 25,000 to NTAP and sent this message on the occasion: ‘’I am glad to note that the fight against tuberculosis, started from Lahore by handful of ex-T.B. patients under the dynamic leadership of Dr. Riaz Ali Shah, has grown up into a full-fledged national organization. Work, work, work of the Welfare and treatment of the T.B. patients as you will be rendering a great service to humanity. May God bless you!’’

This is a brief account of what a few T.B patients achieved under the guidance of a dedicated doctor. A success story, indeed. Success came through voluntary organization, selfless service and public participation. The T.B Association can serve as a beacon to the other social welfare organizations aiming at the mitigation of pain, misery and misfortune that is the lot of mankind in this sorry scheme of nature.