Ideals

News from Jalozai Refugee Camp, Pakistan
jalozai

The need for continued support of the camp's medical centre was well illustrated when Dr Andy Ferguson and John Beavis visited the camp in late April. Although early spring the temperature was 40'C and the refugees were taking shelter in their tented accommodation. It is a desperate place, with few facilities other than life preserving essentials. The health centre was very busy and three children were being treated as in-patients; one with suspected malaria and 2 with severe measles. Here is the story of one of them;
Shakira is three and a half years old. She was already malnourished before arriving at Jalozai camp with her family, and had never had any childhood vaccinations in her home village in Bajour Agency. Within weeks of her arrival she developed measles, having missed the most recent vaccination campaign in the camp. In these circumstances measles often leads to death, and Shakira developed a full set of complications: chest and ear infections, early signs of vitamin A deficiency eye disease (despite being given the recommended vitamin A supplements) and dehydration because she became too weak to drink.
This is why we are working in Jalozai; trying to provide the best possible care for sick children like Shakira but, more importantly, to prevent others from suffering the same fate.
This particular story has a happy ending, at least for now. After being stabilised in our health centre Shakira was admitted to the local hospital and slowly improved. But of course she will soon return to the camp and eventually to Bajour, to be faced with the same problems and a health service that cannot cope with the demands.

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