A consultant at the N&N is set for his seventh trip to the middle east to help treat poverty-stricken patients at a hospital.

Junaid Hanif, an ear, nose, and throat (ENT) surgeon, travels to Pakistan tomorrow to a hospital in Karachi, which partly relies on equipment being donated.

During his week-long trip there with a team of three other ear surgeons, Mr Hanif will treat patients and donate equipment such as old hearing aids to help the medical staff.

Mr Hanif travels to the hospital once a year and works long hours to cover the demand in Karachi, the second-most populous city in the world with 29 million inhabitants.

'Professionally speaking it's an extremely rewarding week of my year,' Mr Hanif said.

'Despite the security concerns it's a week I look forward to.

'Over three days last year we did 32 ear operations.

'There were two theatres running concurrently from 9am to 9pm operating on all ages.'

One of the most common ear diseases patients at the hospital suffer from is cholesteatoma, which can lead to hearing loss, meningitis, or brain abscess.

Mr Hanif will treat patients who have been identified as potential candidates for surgery by a local ENT doctor at the hospital prior to the group's arrival.

The group will also train local doctors to use the equipment they bring with them.

'In the past I have taken two operating microscopes donated by the N&N which were being replaced by new microscopes,' Mr Hanif said.

'Without these microscopes the ear surgery would not be possible.'

Although Mr Hanif will spend long hours in the operating theatres he will also take breaks to distribute chocolates from the UK to youngsters on the hospital's children's ward.

'They treat the chocolates like gold bars,' he said.

'The smiles on their faces are brilliant.'

Do you have a health story? Email nicholas.carding@archant.co.uk