Patient Welfare Programme

Jehangir Gets Hip Replacement Surgery

The first time 38-year-old Jehangir felt pain in his legs was when he was loading a crate of office equipment on his truck in Kuwait City. He did not take the matter seriously. A brief rest provided him relief and he resumed his duties as usual.

The discomfort, however, was perennial. Most of the times it was bearable, some times it was not. He used household remedies prescribed by his concerned mother and wife in their letters from Pakistan, such as oil massages before going to bed. One night, after a laborious day at work, the pain returned with a vengeance and progressed to a point where he begged his roommate, a Karachiite named Shakil, to take him to a nearby hospital. He was diagnosed with severe arthritis. In the coming weeks his condition worsened to the extent that he was unable to walk. Bedridden and alone, he had no option but to resign from his job and return to Pakistan for his treatment.

Hailing from Swat, in the Northern Areas of Pakistan, Jehangir is the only breadwinner in a family consisting of his wife, three small children, an aged mother, a widowed sister and her four children. On Shakil's insistence Jehangir arrived at Aga Khan University Hospital (AKUH) in great pain where he was told that the disease had   affected his hip joint, and the only solution was to undergo hip replacement surgery.

He could only contribute Rs. 25,500 (US$ 440) towards the cost of the treatment, estimated to cost Rs. 206,782 (US$ 3,565). Learning of his financial constraints, his physician recommended that he consult the Hospital's welfare officer. After reviewing his case, the officer assured him of his eligibility for financial assistance. The Patient Welfare Programme provided Rs. 81,282 (US$ 1,400) towards the cost of his surgery. The remaining Rs.100,000 (US$ 1,724) was donated by 'The Patients Behbud Society for AKUH', started by a group of the University's well wishers and friends, through which 'zakat' contributions are received and disbursed to the 'mustahqeen' (deserving). Since the Hospital’s Welfare Programme’s inception, Rs. 0.9 billion (US$ 15.5 million) has been disbursed to over 175,000 patients with financial difficulties.

After a successful surgery, Jehangir was soon back on his feet, and is now in Kuwait where he continues to support his family.