Offering healing touch online
The catastrophic floods in Pakistan, especially the unending suffering of the stricken people in Sindh villages, have generated a massive wave of empathy worldwide as people are coming forward to help millions of people in distress in whatever way they can.
Dozens of Pakistani women doctors living abroad have volunteered to conduct free online medical check-ups of the flood victims in Sindh, especially of women and children, living in the shelter camps set up by the provincial government or philanthropists.
These doctors based in the United States, the United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia, Canada, Yemen, Malaysia, Turkey and other countries connect with their patients through the Educast tele-health platform.
Educast founder Abdullah Butt told The Express Tribune that 25,000 doctors quit the profession or medical practice every year, which causes huge economic losses to the country because the Sindh government alone spends Rs5 million on one doctor. "We have brought back 1,000 female doctors into the profession and thus saved Rs5 billion of the country," he added. "We provide training to these doctors after they rejoin the profession."
Last year, there were 2,000 women doctors registered on Educast who served the ailing humanity during the novel coronavirus pandemic, Butt said. "Now, the numbers have gone beyond 6,000," he added. "Out of these, more than 100 doctors have volunteered to conduct free online medical check-up of the flood-stricken people."
Butt further said that with the support of students from Dawood University of Engineering and Technology, a camp has been set up in a slum of Larkana city, where women doctors from 27 countries provide free online consultation to the flood victims.
Vice Chancellor of Dawood University Prof. Dr. Faizullah Abbasi said that wherever camps and medical facilities are not available, their students conduct online clinics by connecting with foreign volunteer doctors through Educast app on their mobile phones. "We will expand this work and will also provide shelters in the flood-affected areas," he added.
Dr. Asifa from Turkey said that she had quit her job, but returned to the profession through this platform. "I got training and now I'm providing my services on a voluntary basis and examine the sick flood victims online," she added.
Dr. Bisma Benaris from Saudi Arabia said that there has been an increase in the number of snake-bite cases among the flood victims. "This situation is particularly worrying because the flood victims have no access to doctors in their marooned villages," she said. "In some areas, cellular services are erratic due to flooding, but we stay alert during our shifts."
Dr. Asifa said that due to non-availability of clean drinking water, the flood victims are increasingly falling prey to cholera, diarrhea and dysentery. Dr. Ayesha Manzoor added that the flood victims are also suffering from skin diseases due to lack f cleanliness, sores in feet because of heat, and mosquito-borne diseases.
Dr. Samira Ehtsham said that students from Dawood University are providing free medical services in Larkana with the help of volunteers from abroad through Educast app. They check the vitals of patients on the instructions of the doctors who then prescribe medicines through the same app. She further said that six teams comprising 18 doctors are providing services in the flood-hit areas of Sindh.
These doctors said that they would do every possible effort to help the ailing humanity in the flood-stricken areas of Pakistan. They also urged other doctors to come forward and play their role at least through the Educast app.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 21st, 2022.