MUZAFFARGARH: Around 37 members of a family in a village about 25 kilometres from the city are suffering from a peculiar ailment that renders them paralysed once they cross the age of 30. The family is desperately seeking help for not just the treatment of this problem, but also some relief through the coronavirus relief package.

The family, living in Rahem Wali village at Mauza Jhandywali of Muzaffargarh tehsil, about 25 kilometres from the city, has been suffering from a disease that paralyses its members waist down after the age of 30. Right now, around 37 members of the family are paralysed, while around 10 are healthy as they are below 30 years of age.

During a visit to their house, this correspondent saw all members of the family aged 30 years and above paralysed and lying in their beds; their legs so weak that they could not take a step even.

One of the affectees, Mazhar Iqbal, said the village that comprised 50 houses only had a primary and middle school where their children studied. He further said that till the age of 30 their family members remained healthy and normal, while later they became paralysed and were eventually confined to their beds for the rest of their lives.

37 family members paralysed, around 10 younger members healthy

He said over 12 women and 25 men had been affected by the disease. They had visited several hospitals, hakeem sand quacks for treatment, but were unable to recover.

Parveen Bibi said she had contacted a faith healer who claimed that some spirits were angry with the family due to an old enmity and had cursed them. The family had been asked several times by village elders to leave from the area but they refused.

She complained that the government had not given them any food items or included them in the Ehsaas programme for cash relief.

Another family member, Abubakar, said they had been ignored during the distribution of Watan Cards also during the 2010 super floods in Muzaffargarh district. Several lawmakers had visited the area and promised them benefit under the Benazir Income Support Programme, but they had yet to receive anything, while his entire family had been listed as ‘disabled’ in the National Database and Registration Authority records.

Raheem Bukhsh, a younger and healthy member of the family, said they could only appeal from the government and not other people as they were not beggars. They wanted treatment for their disease if it was possible, while right now they were following the government instructions and staying inside their houses due to the ongoing pandemic. He said no food or any kind of relief was given to them by the authorities.

They appealed to Prime Minister Imran Khan to help them with their treatment and also include them in the Ehsaas programme.

Published in Dawn, May 16th, 2020