Reference :
V-P-PK-E-01395
Date :
09/2016
Caption :
Karachi. Shazia Lodhi is the widow of a police officer who was wounded during his service. He died on the way to the hospital.
Confidentiality level :
public
Publication restrictions :
publication without restrictions
Description :
"He was dead by the time we finally got him to the hospital. It took the ambulance nearly 45 minutes to get to the scene of the accident. Misal Khan had been hit by a truck, thrown from his motorcycle and received serious injuries to his head. An ambulance had been called immediately but, as we learned later, it was unable to get to him in time because of heavy traffic. After waiting a long time, we placed his injured body in a rickshaw and managed to get him to an emergency room, but given his condition, and the severe blood loss, and the time it took to get him to a medical centre, there was little hope.
My family is still living with the consequences of that day. Misal Khan was a police officer and the only breadwinner in the family. His death meant that I had to take my children out of school, and force them to find jobs. I have had to rely on the charity and support of family members, but that too I cannot rely on for much longer, as they have their own children and their own homes to support. There are months when we cannot afford food, or medicines, or even the rent. Even the police have been indifferent to our situation – handing over Misal Khan's small pension to us periodically as if we were beggars asking for alms."
ICRC website, photo gallery “Unsung Heroes of Pakistan: Healthcare Workers Taking Risks to Save Lives”, 07 JULY 2017
“Violence against healthcare professionals working in conflict areas is a reality that thousands of healthcare workers have to confront on a daily basis. Often the impacts of this violence spill over to the patients, families, and coworkers as well. In Karachi, Pakistan, these are the true stories of healthcare workers who've encountered this violence while risking their own lives to save the lives of others.
ICRC's Healthcare in Danger (HCiD) project aims at encouraging different stakeholders to improve the security and delivery of healthcare in armed conflict and other emergency situations.”
Original material :
digital
Resolution :
6144x4912
Orientation :
landscape
Colour/B&W :
colour
