A 30 year-old male patient was admitted to Lady Reading hospital in Peshawar with 2 months history of high fever, cough and shortness of breath and chest pain. He shared of anxieties of being sick for so long. Imtiaz spoke of ten or more episodes of fever and cough over more than two months, each […]
An Afghan girl’s dilemma
Years of war have depleted Afghanistan of resources and eroded their ability to care for the sick. The health system is plagued and the standards are low. Thousands of Afghans travel to Pakistan in search of medical treatment. Poor and limited healthcare infrastructure is causing the numbers to grow. ‘My daughter would have died if […]
Ali Hasan, a victim of hit-and-run accident
Eight year-old Ali Hassan was a victim of a hit-and-run accident. Coming from a dysfunctional family, he also suffered parental neglect following abandonment by his father, and family violence. His mother had sent him, along with his older sister, to work as domestic workers. His tasks included dish-washing and cleaning of the car. Their wages […]
Parmin Gul – A widow from Mohmand Agency
Parmin’s life did not turn out the way she had wished. She was married off at the tender age of 15 years, bore two children, and was a widow at age 22. Her entire world had been torn apart. She was brought up to believe in the ideals of motherhood and the sanctity of marriage. Widowhood, hence, has had […]
Story of Sakina Bibi
Sakina Bibi, an elderly woman aged 78, lived in extreme poverty. She had no source of income and lived an impoverished life with her two disabled adult children – a son and a daughter-in-law, both deaf and dumb – and two grandchildren. She was destitute and lived off the charity of her neighbours and the […]
Sidra’s ordeal
Tears welled up in the eyes of Sidra’s father as he spoke about the illness of his 10 year-old daughter and his inability to meet the cost of her treatment. Lean, pale and restless, Sidra tossed and turned in pain on the hospital bed. She seemed extremely undernourished and deprived of all life’s amenities. She seemed […]
Faiza – Victim of violence
Faiza, a recent divorcée aged 28 years, was born to a poor family. Face down, she lay motionless on the hospital bed, with both her legs fractured. One leg was plastered while the other, which had sustained multiple fractures, awaited surgery. The surgery was possible only if the financial costs were met. She had no […]
Juma Khan, the refugee
Juma Khan was forced to migrate from North Waziristan to the city of Peshawar, and a few years later, to the outskirts of Islamabad, just to make a living. He was born in Pakistan to refugee parents from Afghanistan, and despite having spent 38 years in Pakistan, was still tagged as a refugee. He was illiterate, had […]
First day of life
Pakistan has the highest number of children that die during child birth or on the first day of life. Unfortunately, it is the top country in the world that’s been unable to meet security requirements for newborn babies, yet there is no official notice of this. According to the latest Save the Children report “Ending […]
Building better links between WASH and the health sector – the role of universal health coverage?
Today marks World Water Day, an opportunity to remind ourselves of the severe dearth of services and facilities that provide adequate water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) conditions across the world. The figures remain stark. Two and a half billion people do not have access to basic sanitation worldwide, over one billion rely on open defecation, and […]