r Sadia Muzaffar, a 36-year-old gynaecologist and surgeon hailing from Jaranwala in Faisalabad district, has devoted herself to serving the people in a remote region in Kohistan district.

Born to a public servant father, she spent her early years in Quetta, where her family resided due to her father’s work. Excelling in school education, she topped the education board’s matric and FSc examinations. After securing an MBBS degree from Bolan College, she briefly served at a Quetta hospital before pursuing FCPS at Aga Khan Teaching Hospital, Karachi.

Driven by her mother’s struggle with diabetes during her youth, she undertook a medical career. Despite limited resources due to the nature of her father’s job, she pursued advanced studies, working part-time to support her education. Seeing women, particularly those facing gynaecological issues like infertility further fuelled her dedication.

Dr Sadia made providing medical care to underserved regions her mission. She has found a home in Dassu, a remote corner of Kohistan district, where she has spent eight months as a beacon of hope, dealing with the pressing medical needs of the community.

Talking to The News on Sunday, she says there were some initial challenges. Despite the mountainous terrain and scarce facilities, her engagement with residents of Kohistan amplified her resolve. She courageously took on the task of tackling the language barrier that can hamper effective healthcare communication.

Dr Sadia identifies low female literacy in Kohistan as a serious problem. She says uneducated women struggle to articulate their health issues. Poor communication sometimes leads to misconceptions and misguided treatment by lady health workers daais.

“To overcome this problem, I used the power of social media to raise awareness about the importance of visiting hospitals. Gradually, my efforts began to bear fruit. More people started seeking medical care at the hospital instead of relying solely on familiar local practitioners” she says.

Amna Sardar, a lawmaker who works for women’s and children’s healthcare in Hazara division says, Dr Sadia’s influence in initiating the trend of women seeking professional check-ups from doctors in Dassu, has been valuable.

Shedding light on the women’s health concerns in Dassu Amna says that the most grave issue is nutritional deficiency. “Most families are dependent on a single earner. As a result nutritional requirements become a challenge. Also, frequent pregnancies harm maternal and child health.” She says infant mortality rates are high in the region. The previous year four out of ten newborns were dying within a month. This was due in part to not visiting specialist doctors. With Dr Sadia’s intervention the situation is improving gradually.

Driven by her desire to make a difference, Dr Sadia remains hopeful and determined in her commitment to serving the marginalised population.

Amna is of view that there is a great need for educating women to prevent reliance on traditional birth attendants and promoting sound hygiene practices among mothers. High infant mortality due to pneumonia, meningitis, lack of breastfeeding and unsanitary conditions is avaoidable. With their dedicated efforts, Dr Sadia and her team have reduced the risks for a sizeable number of families by imparting crucial education.

Amna says Dr Sadia is a seasoned gynaecologist, who has successfully separated conjoined twins, performed uterine rupture repairs, handled breech deliveries, and cases of postpartum hemorrhage. Dr Sadia has saved many lives by taking the services closer to the community. In the not so distant past similar patients would typically die on their way to Abbottabad.

Dr Sadia tells The News on Sunday says she has overseen almost 50 successful caesarean sections and over 1,400 normal vaginal deliveries. She says she has also handled some complicated cases initially attended by traditional dais.

Due to rampant poverty in Kohistan, a large number of births are still attended by daais and lady health workers. Wealthier families can take the expecting mothers to private hospitals in Abbottabad and Mansehra. There is a concern that doctors at some of the private hospitals tend to favour expensive c-sections over natural childbirth.

Shafatullah, a resident of a remote village in Kohistan this scribe happened to meet, recounted the challenges his wife faced during her delivery. He said she had previously undergone a c-section. He said initially, they sought help from a local midwife, but Shafatullah later took her to Dr Sadia.

Dr Sadia examined the patient and discovered a uterine rupture. As there was no blood bank in the area, the patient was stabilised and referred to Abbottabad. Fortunately, she survived. Doctors who attended to her in Abbottabad said the timely treatment provided by Dr Sadia was crucial to the patient’s survival.

Driven by her desire to make a difference, Dr Sadia remains hopeful and determined in her commitment to serve the marginalised population.

Dr Shah Faisal Khanzada, the additional director general of health for Hazaradivision, acknowledges the challenges encountered by women doctors in remote mountainous regions. He says Dr Sadia’s dedication to service is exemplary.

Dr Rabia Noor, a member of the Advisory Committee at Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Health Foundation, is all praise for the commendable efforts of Dr Sadia and her team in Dassu. She says their work has saved many lives and inspired other young doctors to serve people in far flung areas.

Dr Noor also praises the measures taken by the government to reduce infant mortality in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, especially in challenging terrains like Kohistan.

The civil society in Kohistan is grateful to Dr Sadia for her service. They have been urging the government to deploy more female doctors in remote basic health units.

The writer is a student of history and a journalist interested in writing on gender equality, social issues, climate change and cultural heritage