WEST DES MOINES—
A local cardiologist is trying to bring more attention and relief to the devastating floods in her native country. Dr. Saima Zafar said, "We have families back there. We have relatives back there. In fact, some of my family members have land there which is under flood, right now."Dr. Zafar and her husband moved from Pakistan 20 years ago. Over the past five weeks, they have watched as flooding has affected 20 million people and caused six billion dollars worth of damage in Pakistan. The Zafars keep in touch with relatives over the phone. Saima's brother is helping with the relief effort on the ground, and she is helping to raise funds.
Dr. Zafar is the president-elect for the Associaton of Physicians of Pakistani Descent of North America. The organization has 3,500 members who are now dedicated to meeting the needs of people in their native country.
"The victims need help rebuilding) their homes, their schools, hospitals, clinics... and most importantly, their livelihood," said Dr. Zafar. She plans to visit Pakistan in the next couple of months. You can give money to her organization by visiting www.appna.org. All donations are tax deductible.
