“My wife is a patient of arthritis and suffers from severe bouts of cervical pain; however it is very difficult for me to take her to Hyderabad or Karachi because the transportation fare is exorbitant,” said Lakshman Thari, a resident of Mithi, known to be one of the remotest towns of Sindh.

Thari’s voice, unable to reach the ‘comfortable’ people of Pakistan, is a reverberation of thousands of similar voices that have gradually silenced.

Mithi is home to an estimated population of 40,000 people, a place reigned by combined afflictions of Pakistanis who live without the basic amenities of life — healthcare facilities and clean drinking water being the most required of them.

The problem of this area is that a heavy portion of our federal budget is dedicated to the defence of ‘Pakistan’s borders’ rather than its people, coupled with the distorted influence of ruling politicians to control the recruitment and termination of various office-bearers, results in further exploitation of resources and people who face the brunt of this dysfunction.

Whether we analyse the progress of our airlines or railways, delve into the intricacies of our judicial system or examine the structure of our law enforcers, the omnipresence of scavengers, ripping off the nation is quite evident.

Amidst all of this, it is safe to say that Pratab Rai restored faith in humanity. Rai deserves accolades for his commendable services to his kinsfolk, especially after being victimised by the brutalities of the system.

Pratab Rai, a physiotherapist who graduated from Jinnah Post Graduate Medical Centre, Karachi (JPMC), hails from Mithi, Tharparkar. He moved to Karachi for education, and in search of better opportunities. He lived in Karachi for four years but was disheartened by the reprehensible state of affairs that were not very different in his hometown.

Discouraged yet eager to give back to his town and country, Rai gathered his sparse belongings and returned to Mithi in 2007, where he was hired by the Civil Hospital Mithi as a physiotherapist. His tenure at the hospital lasted for five years, his contract was abruptly terminated in 2011 as his curriculum vitae lacked one of the most substantial elements — political support and reference.

Mithi, which is the district hub adjoined by 22 other obscure villages of Tharparkar, has been deprived of a physiotherapist since May 2011. During my conversation with Rai, he provided an insight on the plight of local residents, reaffirming my worst fears.

“Most of the population is engaged in laborious tasks and drink water extracted from wells, which has high fluoride content. These are the two primary reasons why orthopaedic problems are not uncommon in the region,” said Rai.

“Previously, when I was working in the Civil Hospital, eight to 10 patients, complaining of cervical pain, backache and unhealed fractures, visited the hospital every day, on average. Now they do not have anyone to consult because I was not replaced by anyone,” added Rai.

According to Rai many doctors and physiotherapists are hesitant about work in Mithi because the town does not offer anything but open wounds, dilapidated houses, immeasurable poverty and hunger.

For clarity, I must specify that the nearest city from Mithi is Hyderabad which is approximately 500 kilometres away. The residents live in derelict houses with several mouths to feed and for them travelling all the way to Hyderabad or Karachi for treatment is a luxury they cannot afford.

Rai now works as a computer operator, quite obviously not putting his degree to use to further his professional career, but he visits patients in need without charging them a dime. His conviction to help his community is heart warming in contrast to those who have unflinchingly turned a deaf ear to the predicaments of the underprivileged rural population.

“One man with courage makes a majority,” Andrew Jackson very rightly said. Indeed, many Rais’ from other communities are managing to change the existing state of affaris by touching hundreds of lives by their compassion. Undoubtedly, they are the people that keep me hopeful for a better Pakistan.

Mithi is one of the many towns in Pakistan that have succumbed to the defunct system of political administration. Rai’s passion for serving his own kind is his way of challenging the status quo of a city which has been battling with corrupt governance for ages.

Inducting a new physiotherapist, relying on the old one or recruiting a battalion of doctors might solve current problems but will not exterminate the roots of an evident problem that has been hindering progress for eons. Perhaps it is time to put our personal interests aside and converge as a group to fight the evils of corruption.

It is time for us to raise our voices against forces that have not only stunted our growth as a nation, but has also divided us into detestable groups. It is time to give back to our lost communities that have stopped hoping for our support.