KARACHI – Veena, a six-year-old patient of severe aplastic anemia, has finally been operated upon. After media reports, some philanthropists had stepped forward and helped her father Bhooro Meghwar to bear the expenses of the lengthy and costly treatment, but he still needs Rs 1.2 million for paying the bill of the private hospital where the operation took place.
Though Sindh Health Secretary Hashim Raza Zaidi had written a letter to Meghwar ensuring to provide him with financial help for his daughter’s treatment and had also constituted a board of doctors to decide in what way Veena could be helped, bureaucrats have unsurprisingly disappointed the poor father. On November 4 last year, Pakistan Today had published a story about Veena’s case.
Her father, Bhooro Meghwar is a landless peasant belonging to the Dalit (so-called untouchables) caste of Hindus. She was suffering from severe aplastic anemia and the cure was bone marrow transplant, for which Rs 2 million were needed. Meghwar sold his last pair of goats and a cow after having sold everything else that he owned to save the life of his daughter. She was admitted to different hospitals where she was only treated for some complications, but not the real disease.
After media reports, a philanthropist stepped forward and provided the family with the initial funds, following which Veena was admitted to the Midcity Hospital a month and a half ago. Meghwar had contacted several social workers, including Pakistan Baitul Mal and Pakistan Hindu Council, thinking that they would help, but he was wrong.
