When his son passed away Dr Yousaf Akhtar, retired Army Major, decided to expand his philanthropic service to the poor and needy in memory of his young son Capt Muazzam Ali. He thought of a charity hospital in his home town of Jhelum; that would save patients a 50-100 mile ride on public transport to other cities. Dr Yousaf had a dream and determination but had no financial resources. It was just like his previous project Al-Qasim School, a school for mentally challenged children of poor families, that he started in 1985 with no money. The school now has over 100 special children who are provided free education, uniforms and transport.

Doing philanthropic work by serving the people is not something new for Dr Yousaf. It is in his blood. His grandfather, Hajji Fateh Mohammad (1857-1953) focused on spreading education in district of Jhelum and is still remembered for his achievements. His father, Mr. Najeebullah (1908-1994) followed his father’s footsteps by serving the people of rural areas of Jhelum by brining water, health care and communication to their doorsteps and spreading education for girls and boys of the area.

To fulfill his dream of a hospital, Dr. Yousaf gathered his family members, friends, and colleagues to discuss the idea. Without any delay NGO was established, under the Punjab district social welfare office, to open Captain Muazzam Ali Shaheed Welfare Council and provide financial aid services for the needy. Donations poured in. He rented a large house, hired staff, furnished, and converted it into a 15 beds hospital in 1998. An OB/Gyn specialist moved her clinic at CMAST premises. Many specialists and consultants were contracted to be available on call. To be available all the time on site at the hospital Dr Yousaf moved his 30 year old private practice to Muazzam Hospital. Income from his practice, of an average 100+ patients a day, is deposited in the Hospital’s account to boost the finances of Muazzam Hospital.

His family, relatives, friends, and the people of Jhelum watched in awe his commitment and dedication. As a result of their confidence and trust in Dr. Yousaf and the Muazzam Hospital, they not only admired and encouraged Dr. Yousaf but they also donated generously. Some of them have never even met him, but continue to be the regular donors.

This inflow allows consultants, specialist doctors, experienced medical officers and nursing staff at the hospital to run a 24 hour service. The services also included two ambulances on 24 hour availability. They also transport dead bodies within the city and surrounding areas. Donations cover for free surgery for the poor and concessional rates for low income families. By the end of November 2019, PKR 70/- Million had been spent treating the poor, while medical services were provided to over 21,264 indoor and another 293,747 outdoor patients.

With the increasing population the demand for hospital facilities grew in Jhelum. Some patients requiring surgery are referred to hospitals 70 to 100 miles away in Rawalpindi, Islamabad. CMAST decided to expand to meet the demand. A donation campaign was launched in 2003 to acquire land for a bigger hospital. Success came in the form of inflow of funds once again from family members and relatives in Pakistan and abroad. Finally a new location was selected and approximately 2100 square yards of land worth Rs. 2,900,000/- (49000/- US $ approx.) was purchased. Donations trickled in and on May 12th 2006, reality was reborn. The foundation stone of a 60-bed hospital was laid. Meanwhile, Muazzam Shaheed Welfare Council was upgraded to the Captain Muazzam Ali Shaheed Welfare Trust (CMAST). Construction began soon after, but slower than expected. Funds dictated the speed while the cost of construction sky-rocketed. The cost estimates had to be revised as the time passed. However, Dr. Yousaf and his team never gave up and kept on working harder than ever before. The work onsite continued and after eight long years the completed hospital was inaugurated on March 23, 2014.