While critics charge that Pakistan’s fight against religious extremists is half-hearted, the Pakistani army argues that statistics say otherwise. It has lost more soldiers than all of its Western allies combined. Canada, the U.S. and other coalition force countries have suffered a collective 2,058 soldier deaths; Pakistan’s military has already lost 2,348 soldiers.
The number of wounded Pakistani soldiers is similarly sobering. At least 6,710 Pakistani soldiers have been injured in battle, according to government statistics. “IEDs are our biggest problem, so you get an idea how many soldiers we have who need amputations and prosthetics,” said a senior army officer.
Officers assigned to the Armed Forces Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine (AFIRM) say they are drastically understaffed and underfunded, and are struggling to cope with a growing list of casualties. Amputees are left languishing.The institute is the only hospital of its kind in the country, yet just 20 of 100 beds are reserved for amputees. It can take more than a year for some patients to be admitted. Even after a soldier secures a bed, it might be months more before a prosthetic is made for him. The institute employs seven technicians who fashion prosthetics out of a mixture of resin, chemicals and engineered parts imported from Germany. At least 40 more technicians are needed to keep up with the demand, staff members say.
“These soldiers have been forgotten by their own government,” said Maj. Omer Jamshed Khan, a doctor at the institute.
Yeah Pakistan’s establishment is nothing short of cruel and heartless towards the men who fight, bleed and die just so those fat overpaid easy living human leeches can sit on thier kursi as long as they please.
Sorry for the offence to some but this is painfull, it’s bad enough to be hurt by the enemy, but that is to be expected in war. You dont become a soldier to escape a scrap, but no man deserves to be treated like a forgotten or unseemly burden to society.
Sometimes were it not for those men society itself would become chaos.
I know the Pakistan millitary is run by biggots and the chiefs and officers are curropt but the fighting men are brothers, sons and husbands… men of honour men of courage.
I cannot express in words the pain I feel for my fellow patriotic sons, when we stood tall and healthy we were a sight to be seen now we are kicked about like dogs on a street side…
You dont become a soldier to escape a scrap, but no man deserves to be treated like a forgotten or unseemly burden to society.
Exactly.
There isn't a point in relying on the government for anything at this stage. I think we, the average Pakistanis, need to contribute (financially) to our country more than ever. We did give a lot of charity for the flood victims but this is not where the problems end. We need to think about the soldiers in need and their families too - the main reason why I wanted to put up this thread.
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The average Pakistani soldier earns about 20,000 rupees ($231) a month. One patient at the institute suffering from brain trauma after having been shot in the head receives a monthly disability benefit of 1,600 rupees ($18).
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How can an entire family live off of 1,600 rupees a month?! We, Pakistanis living abroad, easily spend double the amount on mobile usage alone!
“These soldiers have been forgotten by their own government,” said Maj. Omer Jamshed Khan, a doctor at the institute.
Due due respect to Maj. OJK, why does he blame the Govt. for lack of facilities at his hospital? Instead of pointing fingers at himself and Pakistan Army, he chooses to point fingers at Govt. Govt. of Pakistan might now have the resources but Pakistan Army is well funded, and I'm sure budget of this Army hospital is allocated by the Pakistan Army. Its the Pak Army that has forgotten its soldiers not the people of Pakistan.
What about the various other expenses that the army has to take care of? Is the funding really enough given the present situation of the war? They need more ammunition, more fuel, more troops, more everything! Health care clearly isn't on top of the list for them.
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Khan said U.S. army officers have visited twice. “They’ve offered us training and some student-exchange program,” he said, “but that’s not what we need. We need funding. The Pakistan military has to buy bullets, tanks, life jackets.”
A visitor pointed out that the U.S. has pledged to contribute $7.5 billion over five years to Pakistan.
“Yes, it’s funding,” Khan said, “but they do things like count every drop of fuel used by their helicopters here, every bullet shot, everything, and count that as aid to our country. It’s not like they write us a cheque.”
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Question: Does this funding go straight to the millitary or to the government?
Pakistan Army is not a war since 1947, if they have the time and money to increase their nuclear stockpile to more than 100. why cant they fund a rehab facility for their handicapped frontline soldiers??
We all feel for the fighting soldiers.........but normal pakistanis can't give money to these directly.......and it has to go through the institution of the military............and people of pakistan are paying a lot of money to the military........its their fault that they don't pass it on to the deserving ...
The whole industrial complex and corporate empire of pakistan military is based on this premise that its for the benefit of the wounded and shaheed's...........but what happens is that all that money is taken by sorry-ass generals n goes into giving plots to senior officers in DHA and allocating land to the generals....
sorry to say........its military to blame for this..........pakistani people have paid more than they could to the military.
I know for a fact me and my dad have been actively advocating for a Tomb of the Unknown solider in every major Pakistani city considering the recent war. So far fallen on deaf ears.
I know for a fact me and my dad have been actively advocating for a Tomb of the Unknown solider in every major Pakistani city considering the recent war. So far fallen on deaf ears.
Sounds a fair enough thing to ask really... Why dont Pakistani governement support it's troopslike they do in other countries?
In most countries its the Govt. that controls and supports the troops. But in Pakistan, its the Army that supports the Govt. What do you want the civilan govt. of Pakistan do when they themselves are at the mercy of the Army?? They can pull the trigger anytime and remove the Govt.
I don't think so i can criticize the government or military for his disaster in the making, people of Pakistan and armchair warriors never understand the scale of this war and it's effect on very fabric of our society. Pakistani government doesn't have money or capacity to take care of amputee soldiers at this scale.
I would suggest that private hospital's should show some love for country and take responsibility of at least 1 soldier per hundreds beds.
I am going to talk with Dr. Zaheer Ahmed the chairman of Shifa Int. Hospital, Islamabad, i am meeting him tomorrow.
This is one hell of a serious issue, and every Pakistani should take part in it to find a credible solution.
