From Stray Cats to Struggling Mothers: The Reality of Women’s Healthcare in Pakistan

Hadia Hussain

From Stray Cats to Struggling Mothers: The Reality of Women’s Healthcare in Pakistan

A wave of comfort washed over me, as I gently stroked the brown coat of the stray cat curled up in my lap. The steady rhythm of its breathing brought a smile to my face, allowing me to escape from the reality of my surroundings momentarily. The nurse dressed in white called out my name, the cat jumped out of my lap, the feeling of calmness evaporated, and I found myself in a hospital room in Pakistan. The contrast was unsettling. The dry, gray walls seemed to close in on me, amplifying the discomfort of the environment. Everywhere I looked, patients were crammed into every available space, with little to no privacy. Strangely, the scene seemed to have triggered a sudden change in my condition—my upset stomach suddenly felt perfectly fine. It was as if my body sensed my need to escape the unsettling environment and decided to recover so I could get out of there.

Cats roamed the halls, providers worked without personal protective equipment (gloves, coats, and face masks), overcrowded facilities, and a shortage of trained professionals were the reality of healthcare in Pakistan. While I recovered quickly from my food poisoning, my experience in the Aziz Fatima Trust hospital shed light on the challenges faced by healthcare systems in third-world countries. Yet even when the resources are stretched thin, healthcare providers do their best to provide patients with the best treatment possible. However, systemic issues such as lack of funding greatly affect the patient outcome, particularly in serious cases such as pregnancy and cancer. 

One of the most disheartening aspects of healthcare in Pakistan is how little attention women's health gets. In the World Health Organization, article “Deaths from cesarean sections 100 times higher in developing countries: global study” it is mentioned that “While many women in need of cesarean sections still do not have access to cesarean section particularly in low resource settings, many others undergo the procedure unnecessarily, for reasons which are not medically justified.”Pregnancy and childbirth, a joyous moment in the lives of many women, is full of danger due to providers doing Cesarean sections for financial reasons. Let me rephrase this, making profit is the priority for many compared to the life of a mother and her unborn child. Apart from this, Bewket Yeserah Aynalem, points out in the article “Cultural Beliefs and Traditional Practices During Pregnancy, Childbirth, and the Postpartum Period in East Gojjam Zone, Northwest Ethiopia”, “traditional taboos and malpractices like home deliveries owing to cultural beliefs and traditional practices during pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period increase maternal and neonatal complications.” These practices which have been passed down for generations, include avoiding medical care during pregnancy and relying on untrained individuals in the nearby village.

Additionally, in underprivileged areas, procedures such as C-sections are performed with poor hygiene and under trained doctors which often leads to serious complications such as infection, hemorrhage, and sometimes even death. In fact, in the present day C-sections, which are sometimes necessary to perform, have become common even when giving birth naturally is fully possible. Why you might be asking. This takes us back to hospitals performing unnecessary surgeries because they’ll get a higher payout from insurance companies.

When practices are performed without a clear reason, the risks are higher than expected. When resources are limited, there's poor hygiene and a lack of access to sterilized instruments that also increases the risks. This reality stems deeper into South Asian societal norms that often marginalize women's health and well-being, treating them as if their life matters less than the man next to them. Another contributing factor is that women in these communities lack access to pre and postnatal care which only increases the complications they face during pregnancy. The challenges for women go beyond childbirth. When women are faced with life-threatening diseases like cancer they encounter additional obstacles such as a lack of education on their condition, as every decision is made by the “man of the house”. The disheartening part of all of this is that they tend to hear comments like “She probably did something bad, that’s why God is punishing her” or “Who is gonna take care of the house and kids now?”. Such challenges not only physically jeopardize women’s health but it adds more mental burden to their struggles. In John Horgan's article, “Francis Crick’s Depressing Hypothesis” it is emphasized that the topic of consciousness was a mystery worth solving but understanding how the brain works was often ignored by scientists until the 1980s. Just as Crick believed that studying the brain deserved more attention, I believe that the health of women in not just Pakistan matters, and it is crucial that society advocates for better women’s healthcare so their lives are prioritized. 

Figure 1: This image showcases rusty medical instruments 

being prepared for a procedure

Similarly enough, in his article “Is the Hard Problem Really So Hard?” George Musser discusses how qualia (the individual subjective experiences we have) is hard to explain through scientific methods causing it to be dismissed by researchers and scientists. Just as qualia is a topic scientists struggle to understand, societies in third-world countries fail to appreciate the care women need after childbirth. Postpartum depression is seen as a taboo and women are expected to start cooking and cleaning hours after giving birth. Such topics are not addressed by society, much like how qualia is ignored in the world of science. 


Figure 2: This image showcases a woman planting crops days after giving birth

In contrast, the United States, which has an advanced healthcare system, places higher value on women’s health, providing comprehensive health services at every stage of a woman's life. In the U.S., almost every facility, from hospitals to clinics, is equipped with advanced technology, offers specialized treatments, and has providers that are deeply focused on research. All of which contribute to women receiving some of the best care in the world. As I reflect upon my experience in Aziz Fatima Trust, I realize that I witnessed only part of the disparities in Pakistan's healthcare system. While I recovered quickly, countless women in Pakistan suffer daily without receiving proper medical attention and support. I write this not only to advocate for women who deserve better care from providers but I want to emphasize that by educating and empowering women they can stand up against a system that dismisses their needs. 

Just because an individual lives in the United States does not automatically make her life more important than a woman, in a third-world country such as Pakistan. Access to healthcare is a privilege, not a right and we must talk about the disparities that exist around us rather than ignoring them. By raising awareness, we can work towards a future where every female, regardless of her age, status in society or where she lives is able to receive proper care. Change must begin within every hospital and clinic that has the responsibility of protecting and caring for women. Hospitals that prioritize profit over patient well-being take advantage of a woman's vulnerability. In other words, we must hold these facilities accountable for malpractice. Now let me ask you, would you walk into the same hospital as a stray cat full of fleas? Would you let a nurse take your vitals without proper sanitation? I can guarantee that most of you wouldn’t even think about it, so why should she?


Resources:

Aynalem, B. Y., Melesse, M. F., & Bitewa, Y. B. (2023, August 16). Cultural beliefs and traditional practices during pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period in East Gojjam zone, Northwest Ethiopia: A qualitative study. Women’s health reports (New Rochelle, N.Y.). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10460962/ 

Horgan, J. (2024b, July 14). Francis Crick’s depressing hypothesis. John Horgan (The Science Writer). https://johnhorgan.org/cross-check/francis-cricks-depressing-hypothesis 

Musser, G. (2023, December 11). Is the hard problem really so hard?. Nautilus. https://nautil.us/is-the-hard-problem-really-so-hard-421778/ 

World Health Organization. (2019a, March 28). Deaths from caesarean sections 100 times higher in developing countries: global study. World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/news/item/28-03-2019-deaths-from-caesarean-sections-100-times-higher-in-developing-countries-global-study 

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