By Asma Kundi
ISLAMABAD: Abdul Rehman, hailing from Azad Kashmir was sitting on the lawn of the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) along with his bag, mat, blanket, and pillow.
He was waiting for his wife, who was inside the hospital to get the date for her gallbladder surgery. He reached the hospital early in the morning to get the earliest possible date for surgery as his wife had a stone in her gallbladder, which was very painful for her to bear.
When asked about his belongings, he said, “I have no place to stay as we don’t have any relatives here in Islamabad. Therefore, I bought some essential articles while he would stay at the hospital. I have no idea where I will find the space to set my mat as my bed, whether under the roof or in the open sky, he added.
He said that he had heard about the shelter home in G-9 Markaz, where many attendants go for night stay, but he said, he couldn’t leave his wife alone in the hospital; therefore, he will manage in the hospital premises.
Sitting on the same lawn, getting warmth from the sun, Sakina Jahan came here along with her mother-in-law, who was admitted to the gastroenterology ward of PIMS and suffering from an ulcer in her stomach. Sakina was accompanied by her husband and 4-year-old child, three of them were waiting for the doctor’s visit to get over, so they could go inside to meet their mother.
Islamabad hospitals lack facilities
She shared, “This is our second day here; my son and I sleep in the hospital corridor as staff due to my child not asking me to get out. My husband sleeps outside the hospital somewhere, but other people outside have told him that there is a place for homeless people in Islamabad, so he will go to that place tonight.”
There were a large number of other attendants hailing from far-flung areas of Punjab, Azad Kashmir, and Baluchistan, who were sitting and gossiping on the premises. People interviewed revealed that they usually can’t afford to rent out guesthouses or purchase meals from hotels. It was observed that they were getting free meals from a food truck labeled as ‘Koi Bhooka na Soaye’ and Ehsas food stalls inside the hospital.
It was also seen that a woman was washing her and her husband’s clothes, and then she placed them on the boundary wall of the hospital to get dry. These hospital lawns have become temporary homes for many as they have no place to take shelter on such cold nights.
It was learned that Selani Shelter Homes provided beds to these attendants on priority bases. However, some attendants don’t want to leave their patients in the hospital unattended to sleep in peace.
On the other hand, the hospital administration was of the view that they have limitations and strict timing for attendants to visit the patients as the male patients cannot be allowed to stay inside the ward at night. People should follow the rules and regulations mentioned on the walls of hospitals for visitors and attendees if anyone bothers to read, he said.
