ISLAMABAD: A team of American dentists working pro bono in Pakistan has fallen ill due to unsanitary water provided to them by the management of the hotel they are staying at in the federal capital.
The dentists, who are accompanied by American stand-up comedian Jeremy McLellan, had come to Islamabad for a dental camp, where they would treat those in need of an orthodontist that cannot afford one.
Associated with Riphah Medical University, the dentists came to Pakistan with the express purpose of taking part in the medical camp. Jeremy McLellan had taken the opportunity to tour Pakistan—Lahore and Islamabad—where he has been performing in a number of stand-up gigs to sold out audiences.
The popular comedian took to his official Facebook account on Saturday to reveal that the hotel—Margala Hotel on Kashmir highway—provided unsanitary water to all the ones staying there. He also signalled that the manager of the hotel, Khushnood Khan, was the person they contacted and who repeatedly lied to them later on.
The claim made by McLellan was that the hotel management was recycling old bottles of mineral water and filling them with regular tap water.
Speaking exclusively to Pakistan Today, Jeremy said that he was shocked that this sort of thing could happen to him.
McLellan said that he has had a wonderful stay in Pakistan and that the people have been more than hospitable. He said people had been messaging him on their own accord, asking him to only drink Nestle water and that he was surprised someone could do this.
“Oh good lord yes he was rude. He continues to lie,” Jeremy added about the manager’s behaviour towards him and the dentists.
Fortunately, the dental camp was not affected although those involved went through it under dire circumstances.
“Yes, the humanitarian effort went as planned, serving roughly 1,800 people, but the students were fighting stomach sickness the entire time,” he added.
Meanwhile, Jeremy himself—who had especially taken classes to help out with the humanitarian issue—could not participate in the camp owing to the fact that he was affected the worst by the foreign water.
“I got the worst sickness because I took a bottle with me the first day, and I missed two days of the charity work” he told Pakistan Today.
Jeremy seemed determined to take on the management of the Margala Hotel, but he was careful, adding that if any lower staff was fired as scapegoats they would amp up the pressure.
“If any of the lower Margala staff gets scapegoated and fired, we will know,” he said.
Meanwhile, the manager of the hotel, Khushnood Khan, did not care to comment on the matter, declining to receive any phone calls.
