Patient Welfare Program for Poor and Needy (PWP) Hold your hands together to help this little heart Appeal for support to replace limbs of disabled child

Introduction

Zahra Khatoon, an 11 year old, belongs to a low income family from Dhadimal in Gilgit-Baltistan. Three years ago, a terrible accident changed her life forever. While attending a public gathering, she climbed an electricity pole. Minutes later, she slipped with both of her hands getting caught in live electricity wires. She was taken for emergency medical treatment but the doctors could not save her limbs. Today, after having both of her hands amputated, Zahra Khatoon lives a life of extreme distress. Her father, a low income government employee who earns Rps 12,000.00 per month is just not able to afford replacement of his daughter’s limbs with two artificial limbs that could at least help her to resume a life of relative normalcy.

Replacing Zahra Khatoon’s limbs requires an estimated cost of Rps1million (1,000,000.00). Her father, Ghulam Abbas, has managed to raise Rps 250,000.00 approximately but that will only pay for a quarter of the total cost. In the meantime, the family appealed to the chief minister of Gilgit-Baltistan for financial assistance. In turn, Mr Mehdi Shah, the chief minister, recommended the case for financial support to Pakistan ‘Baitul maal’-the federal body which considers cases for financial assistance. But several months have passed since Mr Shah’s letter of recommendation was received by the ‘Baitul maal’, and there are no indications of the government even beginning to consider this case for financial support. Informal inquiries with the relevant government offices in Islamabad have revealed that the federal finance ministry has effectively restricted the release of further funds to the ‘Baitul maal’, which essentially means that cases needing support such as that of Zahra Khatoon could be left in limbo for the foreseeable future.

Details of family members

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In pursuing this case, MICT Trust undertakes to monitor further progress for replacement of Zahra Khatoon’s limbs, enabling her to return to a life of relative normalcy and a greater degree of independence.

LFT Donors please donate generously towards this appeal. Let us assist and improve the life Sister Zahra