| Improved
health care and education is especially crucial for the women
of Kashmir. Death rates in childbirth and infancy are depressingly
high, but as the women from Noon Bagla and surrounding villages
tell us, these are not the only serious medical concerns that
afflict their daily lives. This is Tahira’s story and you
can read more in Nadeem Shah’s book ‘Earthquake’
(click here
for more information)
Tahira (36)
“In March this year, my eldest daughter, Humera, died.
She was 13 years old. In the afternoon, she came back from school
and was looking weak. In the evening, she suffered from motions.
It was late and we could not take her anywhere. We passed that
night sitting and trying home remedies. In the morning, I sent
my nephew to the camp hospital at Chikar to get some medicine.
By the time he came back, Humera had left us with unforgettable
memories and never ending tears. The regret is not why she died
- we all have to die – but that she died unattended. That
is what I feel sorry for. And we still do not even know the
reason for her death.
If a hospital had been here, she might have survived. A hospital
in this area is as necessary as life itself. At least people
will be relieved from the regrets of helplessness. May God help
you all to complete this project as quickly as possible.”
Click
here to read more Villager’s stories.
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