It was a cold evening of January 2021 when Naureen brought her husband; John, to the Emergency Department of the Indus Hospital in Karachi, Pakistan. John was unconscious. Naureen was holding their newborn baby and also taking care of her ailing husband. She was scared and pleading to the doctors to save his life. To her, it felt like her world was crashing in front of her eyes.
The staff at the Indus Hospital admitted John on a priority basis and started conducting tests. They were simultaneously talking to Naureen and found out that John works as a cashier at a fuel station. He has been consuming alcohol and drug since the age of 15. After the initial support, John regained consciousness and once stable was sent back to home.
The next day, he visited the hospital again. After a detailed assessment, the doctors discovered that John is HIV positive. It was very difficult for the doctor to break this devastating news to the vulnerable wife. However, they took the bitter pill and told Naureen about his disease.
As expected, the wretched girl broke into tears. The doctors consoled her and told her to go through a medical checkup as there was a strong probability that John might have passed the infection on to his wife and child. Their worst nightmare came true when the tests confirmed that Naureen and her child is also positive.
Once only worried for her husband’s life, now Naureen was thinking about her and her child’s safety. The experts from the Infectious Diseases Department enrolled them in the HIV clinic and started their protocol. The doctor and counsellors started working on the family. After a long and tedious process, the family accepted that though it’s a deadly disease, however, there’s still light at the end of the tunnel and it is possible to live with HIV.
After multiple counseling sessions, John has now quit the consumption of drug and alcohol. His health has improved and he has started working again. Even though Naureen and her child are on medicine, they are hopeful to live a happy life. The family is grateful to the Indus Hospital and their doctors for supporting them.
