Free medical camp treats 840 patients in Faisalabad
Two days, eleven volunteer doctors, and a queue that started before sunrise. Here is what the camp found.
Our April medical camp on the outskirts of Faisalabad saw 840 patients over two days, with eleven volunteer doctors working from a school building lent to us for the weekend.
The nearest affordable clinic serving these neighbourhoods is an hour each way, and the fare alone puts it out of reach for most households. For a majority of the people we saw, this was their first consultation with a doctor in more than two years.
What the camp found
The pattern of complaints was consistent with previous camps in the area:
| Category | Share of patients |
|---|---|
| Waterborne illness | 31% |
| Skin conditions | 22% |
| Maternal and child health | 19% |
| Respiratory | 14% |
| Other | 14% |
Nearly a third of cases traced back to drinking water. That figure has stayed stubbornly flat across three visits, which tells us that treating patients is not enough on its own.
What happens next
Forty-two patients were referred for specialist treatment, and the foundation is covering costs for the nineteen families who cannot. We have also begun surveying the two neighbourhoods that accounted for most of the waterborne cases, with a view to installing filtration before the next monsoon.
Doctors interested in volunteering for the next camp can reach us through the contact page.