When Allah Bukhsh fell from the wall of a building where he was working as a mason, he had no idea that the injury would keep him grounded for the next five months. But he did clearly know that with his gross monthly income of Rs. 5,000 as a daily wage earner, and a debt of Rs. 35,000 to clear, his chances of availing the required treatment were bleak. The 18 year-old from tehsil Talagang, district Chakwal, has a brother who is also a mason and earns just as much. Together, they support 10 family members including 2 orphans—both of them children of their late uncle. The family lives in a 2-kanal ‘katcha’ house located near a jungle; they burn wood for cooking and fetch water from an uncle’s house nearby. After the fall, Allah Bukhsh was rushed to DHQ Hospital, Chakwal. The doctors referred him to PIMS, where he has been admitted for the last four months. Allah Bukhsh has been diagnosed with a disease in the right knee (orthrodesis; necrosis of the distilled area of the limb). He got his first surgery done two months back but developed a post-operative complication for which he was advised another operation. Despite best efforts, he was unable to mobilize finances for the surgery. Allah Bukhsh’s doctor then contacted Heartfile which, upon scrutinizing his disease profile, released an amount of Rs. 50,000. After a successful surgery, the patient has returned home and will soon be back at work too.
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