Yasmeen Naz was busy applying makeup on a bride. Little did she know that during the course of making another person beautiful, an attempt would be made to physically disfigure her. Yasmeen’s husband barged into her beauty parlour and threw acid on her. This is not an isolated incident. In fact, this was the second incident of acid throwing in Rawalpindi within 24 hours. A dispute in Ganjmandi led to a man named Asad suffering 30 percent burns.
Acid throwing is generally considered a crime only directed against women but as these two incidents show, the venomous mind of an acid thrower does not discriminate between men and women. According to experts, a study conducted from July 2007 to June 2008 revealed that, “1,498 burn patients were presented to emergency departments of three public sector teaching hospitals in Rawalpindi. Females accounted for 40 percent of the patients while the majority of patients were less than 46 years old. Most of the burns occurred at home (79.2 percent). The overall incidence of burn-related injuries per 100,000 inhabitants was 76.3 for emergency visits, 17.0 for hospitalisation and 0.3 for emergency department deaths.”
Given our societal fabric, women are more vulnerable. According to the Acid Survivors Foundation, just between February 2007 and June 2010, there were 335 cases of acid throwing, and 27 percent of the survivors were men.
While some might be mortified by these figures, it is actually surprising that there are not more of these, given the easy access to acid in Pakistan. Just in Rawalpindi, where these two incidents occurred, acid is available for the negligible amount of Rs 50 in Gawalmandi, Tench Batta, City Saddar, Liaqat Road, Pul Shah Nazar and Commercial Market. The police personnel that I talked to emphasised that there was a requirement for a shopkeeper to keep a copy of the National Identity Card of the acid buyer. However, this is seldom adhered to; every so often, there is an obscure call for regulating the sale of acid, but then like so many other reform-oriented demands, this one also meets a fast quick death.
What will be the fate of Yasmeen Naz and Asad in the year when Pakistan’s first Oscar has been awarded to a film based on acid throwing? Their treatment prognosis is not very promising. The treatment facilities in the country are significantly under-resourced. There are a total of seven burn centres in the country — in Islamabad, Karachi, Quetta, Multan and Lahore. The combined capacity of these seven burn centres is 104 beds. This is the projected capacity of these 104 beds: 38 beds, including 20 beds at the under construction unit at Jinnah Hospital, Lahore and 18 at the Burn Unit, Nishtar Hospital, Multan. The seven burn units are scattered around the country with two in Karachi (Burn Centre at the Civil Hospital and one at Abbassi Shaheed Hospital ); two in Lahore (Burn Centre at Mayo Hospital and an under construction one at Jinnah Hospital); one in Quetta (Bolan Medical Hospital ); one in Islamabad at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) and one under construction at Nishtar Hospital, Multan. Out of these seven burn units, the one at the Civil Hospital, Karachi and the PIMS, Islamabad enjoy a good reputation amongst experts, while the others are rated as medium and low. It is unfortunate to note that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) does not have even a single burn unit.
It might be said that there is no need for a burn centre in KP given that acid throwing is comparatively less prevalent there. At least this is what the statistics indicate. However, let us not forget that a burn centre is needed not just for acid throwing survivors but also for stove burning incidents (which most often ‘conveniently’ claim daughters-in-law as victims), as well as terrorist acts. It is therefore tragically surprising that a province that has been the most affected by terrorism lacks a burn unit.
The absence of statistics in a country like ours cannot be taken completely at face value, although far be it for me to try to be overly sceptical. However, many experts including but not restricted to senior researchers like Zaigham Khan, who has worked extensively on the issue, opines, “In Pakistan, hundreds of children and women become victims to stove burning and acid throwing, while dozens of men also become victims to acid throwing incidents. A large number of these incidents are not reported to the police due to low socio-economic status of victims and the stigma attached to such incidents. An even smaller number of incidents are reported in the press.”
It is important to mention that the Combined Military Hospitals (CMHs) run by the army do have burn units. Like other units, their services are free largely for defence personnel, while a small number of civilians are treated for a fee. Given the incidents of terrorism, acid throwing and stove burning, these CMH burn units should extend their services to address the gap. Treatment is important and can be life saving, since the new treatment methods developed since the 1980s can be very productive. In the meantime, Yasmeen Naz and Asad struggle for their lives, paying for the venom of sick minds in an ill-governed country.
The writer is a development consultant and can be reached at [email protected]