Family of ailing girl seeks financial help

PESHAWAR: The family of a nine-year-old girl Salma, who has been advised a bone marrow transplant by the doctors, is seeking financial support for her treatment.

Her poor parents hailing from Bannu district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have spent their hard-earned money on her treatment.

She has been under treatment at different hospitals over the last four months as the level of her hemoglobin is low. Now the doctors have recommended that she should undergo bone marrow transplant.

Salma’s parents sold out gold ornaments, two goats and other valuables to get her treated. The family now needs at least Rs3.5 million for treatment.

She is now under treatment at the Thalassemia House on Liaqat Bagh Road in Rawalpindi.

She was first taken to Khalifa Gul Nawaz Hospital in Bannu, wherefrom she was referred to the Khyber Teaching Hospital in Peshawar and subsequently taken to Rehman Medical Institution (RMI) in Peshawar. Afterwards, she was referred to the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, Rawalpindi.

“The blood sample taken from one of Salma’s siblings has matched with the patient and the doctors have advised bone marrow transplant but for that the family needs a huge amount,” said Irfanullah, the maternal uncle of Salma.

He added the local people had even collected donations for the treatment of his niece.

Salam’s father Mian Wali Khan belongs to a poor family in Bezankhel village in Bannu district where he lives with his six-member family.

Irfanullah said the family had borrowed about nine lakh from relatives and other local people for her treatment.

The villagers raised about Rs2 million for her treatment.

“On average, about Rs30,000 is needed daily for expenses at the private hospital. The hospital management says the required amount for bone marrow transplant must be paid in advance,” said Salma’s uncle.

He said they had asked about the provincial government’s health insurance project i.e. the Sehat Insaf Card but they were told it did not cover thalassemia patients

He added that receiving money for treatment under the Zakat fund would take about six months for approval.

The family members appealed to the well-off people, charity organizations, federal and provincial governments to provide financial assistance for the treatment of the ailing child admitted at Thalassemia House, Liaqat Bagh Road, Rawalpindi.

Those wishing to help the family could send money to her father through his easypaisa account 03371616414 and her uncle through his easypaisa account 03369062977.

The well-wishers may visit the hospital to see the patient and her family.