ON Sept 30, my 23-year-old brother had a road accident on the Karakoram Highway in Gilgit-Baltistan. We shifted him to CMH, Gilgit.
The surgeon told me that the case is very serious due to severe head injury and there was no nuerosurgeon in the CMH.
Later, I contacted the district hospital, Gilgit, which is the biggest hospital in Gilgit-Baltistan but failed to find any neurosurgeon who could operate upon my brother.
Unfortunately, there was not a single neurosurgeon in Gilgit-Baltistan.
We travelled to Islamabad fortreatment but all went wrong and my brother died there.
The main reason for the death of my brother was that there was no neurosurgeon in Gilgit-Baltistan. My brother could have been saved had he been operated upon in time.
It is also a well-known fact that Gilgit is far from Islamabad and it takes about16 to18 hours toreach there. A person with brain injury is not allowed to travel due to risks to life.
The plane schedule is also delayed owing to rough weather of GilgitBaltistan. Besides, not every citizencan efford exorbitant air tickets.
Why the federal and Gilgit-Baltistan governments have ignored the fact that there is not a single neurosurgeon in the whole of Gilgit-Baltistan? Road accidents are common in the region due to its topography. I request the federal and Gilgit-Baltistan governments to make an arrangement for a neurosurgeon to be available in GB.
I cannot get back my brother but can raise a voice for a doctor that may save other people in such a situation.
