KARACHI - Renowned artists of the country donated more than 100 masterpieces of their art work for auction in an exhibition with view to help in fund-raising for the free treatment of poor and needy patients, The Nation was told on Tuesday. The art exhibition titled "Art for Health" will be organised under the aegis of 'The Dowites 78 Operation Theatre Welfare Society (DOTS)' on March 21 at Alliance Franchise, a spokesman for the organisation told The Nation on Tuesday. The DOTS, a group of doctors, is providing free surgical treatment to the poor and needy patients. The organisation comprising of doctors gradated from Dow Medical College in 1978 and later, who provide free of cost quality surgical treatment to the needy patients at Civil Hospital Karachi with financial assistance from their friends and supporters. The spokesman added that after several years of untiring efforts, the Operation Theatre Complex, has provided free treatment to 8,104 poor and needy patients in cancer, hernia, appendicitis, retinal ailments at ophthalmology, ENT, paediatric, maxillofacial, vascular and plastic surgery wards. He said that annual budget of the Complex to purchase drugs, disposables, maintenance and other expenditures is estimated to be around Rs 30 million, which needed to be raised indigenously. The spokesman maintained that goal of providing quality treatment to the poor could not be achieved without the moral and financial support of philanthropists. "Art for Health" is an effective venture to convince wealthy people to donate in service of humanity. The paintings, sculptures and calligraphic masterpieces of renowned artists will be displaced at the exhibition for auction with a view to raise funds for the treatment of poor and needy patients, spokesman said. He added the DOTS has already collected more than 100 masterpieces of renowned artists of including Amin Guljee, Aftab Zafar, Anjum Ayaz, Abdul Hayee, Abdul Jabbar, Athar Jamal, Hameeda Sajjad, Mansoor, Mehtab Ali, Mashkoor Raza, Naheed Raza, Shehla Rehman, Atif Ali, Tabinda Chinoy, Tassaduq Sohail and Tariq Javed.