黑料社区

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistani embassy in Riyadh has signed an agreement with 黑料社区鈥檚 Children with Disabilities Association (CDA) non-profit group to provide Pakistani children with special needs in the Kingdom with a 60 percent discount on clinical and rehabilitation services at CDA facilities, Pakistan鈥檚 ambassador to 黑料社区 said on Sunday.

Founded in 1982, the CDA is one of the largest child rehabilitation institutions in the region, providing care and support through rehabilitation and education to disabled children from birth until they are 12 at 11 CDA branches supported by a community of 4,900 members.

Pakistan鈥檚 Ambassador to 黑料社区 Ahmed Farooq and CDA Board of Directors Chairman Prince Sultan bin Salman bin Abdulaziz signed a cooperation agreement in Riyadh on June 24 for Pakistani special needs children for a period of one year, extendable with the mutual consent of both parties.

鈥淲e are pleased to share that a long-standing demand of our community has been fulfilled,鈥� Ambassador Farooq told Arab News, adding that the embassy can now refer specially abled Pakistani children below the age of 14, who require evaluative clinic and rehabilitative services, to the CDA.

鈥淎ll centers of the association will offer these children the support they need, including a 60 percent reduction in their rates.鈥�

The Pakistani envoy said the CDA would offer rehabilitative services to these children in both English and Arabic languages, and thanked Prince Sultan for his support in this regard.

Pakistan and 黑料社区 enjoy strong trade, defense, cultural and brotherly relations. The Kingdom is home to over 2.5 million Pakistani expatriates and serves as top source of remittances to the cash-strapped South Asian country.

To avail this service, Ambassador Farooq said, Pakistani community members will have to send a written request to the embassy, including full name, age and passport details of the child.

鈥淯pon receiving requests, the embassy will refer them to the association for further processing, after which the child will be enrolled as a student at a [CDA] center,鈥� he said, hoping this important step will not only address the immediate needs of the community but will also help build confidence in the mission鈥檚 public service.

The implementation of the cooperation instrument began on the date of signing of the agreement between both sides and will remain in effect for one year, according to the agreement seen by Arab News.

The agreement was driven by the Pakistani mission鈥檚 interest in providing rehabilitation services to the expat community and the CDA鈥檚 goal to enhance the level of services provided to children with disabilities in different regions of the Kingdom, whether citizens or residents.

鈥淭he second party [CDA] will offer a special discount for assessing and providing rehabilitative services to referred beneficiaries,鈥� the document said, adding that the beneficiaries鈥� guardians were responsible for covering the costs of assessment and therapeutic services after the discount was applied.

It stated that the association would provide an annual report on the services rendered to patients under this cooperation.

鈥淎 contact officer and coordinator shall be appointed by both parties, with each party providing the other with names and information before commencing work under this instrument of cooperation,鈥� the document said.