Providing Food to Families of Hospital Patients

Care Beyond Treatment: Why a Warm Meal Matters

Project Report | October 2026
By Huzaifa Kermani | Chief Marketing Officer (CMO)

When Illness Becomes a Financial Burden

For families accompanying loved ones through hospitalization, the cost of care extends far beyond medical treatment. Transportation, lost income, accommodation, and daily meals can place considerable pressure on already vulnerable households.

According to the World Bank, using WHO health expenditure data, 52.9% of Pakistan's total healthcare expenditure was paid out-of-pocket in 2023. Meanwhile, the World Food Programme estimates that 20.7% of Pakistan's population is undernourished.

For families already struggling to afford basic necessities, hospitalization can make something as simple as a warm meal an additional financial burden.

The Overlooked Hunger of Hospital Caregivers

Research highlights how frequently caregivers themselves go without adequate food during hospitalization.

A 2021 study published in Academic Pediatrics found that 43% of surveyed caregivers of hospitalized children in a US hospital experienced food insecurity during their child's admission. Researchers identified financial limitations, transportation difficulties, and lack of affordable food options as significant barriers.

Although conducted outside Pakistan, the study highlights an often-overlooked aspect of hospital care: caregivers need access to food while supporting their hospitalized loved ones.

Our Commitment at Fatima Memorial Hospital

Through this project, Fatima Memorial Hospital continues providing meal support to underprivileged patients and attendants, particularly families facing prolonged treatment, financial hardship, or extended stays in emergency and critical care settings.

Our ongoing priorities include dependable meal distribution, coordination with hospital teams and volunteers, and ensuring that food is served with dignity and compassion.

Because compassionate healthcare must consider not only the patient receiving treatment, but also the family standing beside them.

Help Us Serve Those Who Need It Most

According to the project's published donation options:

• $10 can provide meals for two underprivileged people.
• $50 can provide meals for ten people.
• $500 can provide meals for 100 people.

Your generosity helps relieve an immediate burden for vulnerable families during some of the most difficult moments of their lives.

Support Providing Food to Families of Hospital Patients

Thank you for helping Fatima Memorial Hospital make compassion an essential part of care, one meal and one family at a time.