
The Afghan government has requested the management of the Paraplegic Centre Peshawar and Pakistan government to help in setting up a similar institution in Kabul as well.
Paraplegic Centre Peshawar is the only medical institution in Pakistan that not only treats spinal cord injuries and patients but also manufactures artificial limbs for the disabled. Thousands of Afghan patients have been successfully treated and fitted with prostheses in the decades-long Afghan war.
In this regard, Maulvi Matiul Haq Khalis, head of the Afghan Red Crescent Society (SraMiasht) visited the Paraplegic Centre Peshawar with an Afghan government delegation.
The centre’s CEO Dr Syed Mohammad Ilyas gave him a detailed briefing about the aims and objectives of the organization and exemplary services rendered in the region.
He fully agreed that there is an urgent need to set up a Paraplegic Centre Peshawar-style institution for the physical, psychological and social rehabilitation of the disabled in war-torn Afghanistan. Maulvi Matiul Haq Khalis along with the delegation also inspected the institution in detail and enquired after the Afghan and Pakistani patients there.
On this occasion he mingled with the patients while the Afghan patients highly praised the high quality of the centre and the exemplary attitude of the medical staff.
Khalis also appreciated the excellent services
and performance of centre and acknowledged its services.
He also invited Dr Ilyas Syed to visit Afghanistan with his expert team and said that Paraplegic Centre Peshawar has been serving Afghans since 1984 and now it is time for us to set up similar institutions in Afghanistan as well.
Dr Ilyas Syed accepted the invitation of the Afghan delegation and assured his full cooperation in this regard.
It is worth mentioning here that thousands of people have been left disabled in Afghanistan in the one and a half-decade long war in the country who need permanent treatment as well as psychological counseling.
Most of the disabilities are caused by landmine blasts in the neighbouring country as mine fields established by the Soviet forces in the 1980s still needs to be cleared.
In order to treat Afghan refugees the Paraplegic Centre Peshawar was established with foreign funding back in 1984 and it is still operational.
So far it has successfully treated and rehabilitated thousands of Afghan nationals as well as locals.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 14th, 2022.
COMMENTS
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ