The icddr,b is managing a dedicated Zakat Fund to support eligible poor patients, enabling low-income families to access life-saving treatment at its hospitals.

Beneficiaries are identified through a structured verification process to ensure compliance with Islamic guidance and the responsible use of Zakat contributions, said a press release.

Last year, around 4,000 patients received treatment through the fund, helping low-income families meet urgent medical expenses.

icddr,b said the initiative reflects its continued commitment to equitable healthcare and support for disadvantaged communities.

Those seeking to ensure that their Zakat directly supports verified, low-income patients in urgent need of medical care can find more information at donate.icddrb.org and through other authorised healthcare institutions, it added.

Every year, icddr,b’s hospitals in Dhaka, Matlab, and Teknaf provide free treatment to over 3 lakhpatients, most of them are children from very low-income households. Illness like diarrhoea, pneumonia, and severe malnutrition hit these communities hardest, it said.

While the average cost of full treatment is just 3 thousand taka per child, for manyfamilies, this modest sum is out of reach.

A single Zakat contribution can fully finance one child’s treatment, it added.