Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Patient needs help in Services Hospital

Patient's hand on left side and his mother's on right side.
You can't appreciate your life and lifestyle in Pakistan unless you visit government hospitals. I visited Lahore's Services Hospital recently. I was searching for a doctor friend in various wardrooms when I come across this patient. His facial features were disfigured because of acromegaly, which causes the patient's hands, feet and face to grow abnormally large. He was crying while talking to someone on mobile phone. I stopped by and inquired from the lady sitting on a bench near his bed. Another good thing about government hospitals is that patients are from humble backgrounds and they don't mind being questioned.
To my question that why is he crying, she told me that he is talking to his younger sister (class 3 student) in Okara and that he is missing her. He was being sent for CT scan and was scared of it. He was trying to comfort himself by talking to his sister. My voice started cracking with emotions and I tried to engage the boy and his mother in conversation. 
I asked her that why don't she bring her daughter to hospital so that she can spend time with her ailing brother. The woman said that she had to borrow money from her relatives and neighbours just to arrange bus fare from Okara to Lahore for two people, adding that she could not afford her daughter's trip to the hospital in Lahore.
Meanwhile, my doctor friend came and informed me about the condition of this patient. According to the doctor, the patient, Fayyaz, aged 24 years, is suffering from brain tumour which has affected his pitutiary gland. Fayyaz had also got cameo-therapy from Shaukat Khanum Hospital in the past. He can only see from one eye and is getting insulin injections for the last two years. Fayyaz is in Services Hospital because of paralysis on right side of his body. He is admitted in Medicine ward number 4 in the hospital.
Really moved by the love between the dying brother and his younger sister, I thought that I should help them in whatever way I could. I am going to Lahore this Saturday (25-06-11) to give a small donation to his mother. If anyone wants to join in and contribute let me know.

2 comments:

  1. Dear Gondal sb,
    ASA. I have been following your blog off and on for quite sometime. I am a govt servant but am willing to help the poor guy through you. I would request you to let me remain anonymous in this effort. You can contact me via email, and then we can exchange cell numbers. I am presently in Lahore.
    best,
    Nauman
    nmafzal at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  2. Dear Nomi, I really appreciate your gesture. People like you are hard to find these days, who are willing to help someone while remaining anonymous. Sir, the patient has been referred to Shaukat Khanum Hospital for the surgery of his pituitary gland. And I am no more in contact with him. But still we can pray for his recovery.

    ReplyDelete