A fundraiser in Bradford has already raised more than £1,000 towards building a new maternal hospital in Pakistan.

Women from the British Muslim Women Forum (BMWF) have set a £10,000 target to cover part of the cost of a new ward.

It comes amid rising health inequalities in the country. Poorer women are unable to access healthcare and often die giving birth, the BMWF said. 

Many of the local public hospitals for women are ill equipped and private care is not an affordable option for working families.

The fundraiser was started by Behbud, an organisation based on Tipu Road in the heart of Rawalpindi, Pakistan. 

The non-profit organisation has been working on projects focused on women's empowerment and child development since 1967.

It now wants to convert its existing clinic to create a 65,000 square feet maternal and children's hospital, with space for 100 beds.

Estimated to cost £5.93 million, Behbud wants the space to be a state of the art facility.

The financial model for the hospital is built on achieving self-sufficiency over a five-year period, with at least 75 per cent of its patients to be treated free of charge or at a highly affordable subsidised cost.

The forum’s Bradford members are now asking the public for their help.

Councillor Sabiya Khan (Labour, Wibsey) said: “We plan to develop collaboration with local NHS organisations with the Behbud hospital so good practice and learning can be shared. We have many families from the area in Pakistan I urge them all to support our appeal.”

Anyone who would like to donate to the fundraiser can visit the Just Giving page at https://bit.ly/newhospitalward