Bureaucratic nightmares and constant fear are trapping Pakistani women in a deadly healthcare limbo, according to a damning new report. From visa delays to terror threats, the obstacles are stacking up, leaving patients in agony and pushing mortality rates higher.
Detailed accounts from survivors underscore the crisis. In Peshawar, a young bride battled breast cancer while her treatment visa was rejected thrice due to missing documents. ‘I thought I’d die waiting,’ she recalls. Similar stories echo across the country, where women comprise 70% of medical visa applicants but face disproportionate rejections.
The report breaks down the barriers: endless forms requiring guarantors, bank statements, and medical board approvals; coupled with PTSD-like fear from attacks on polio workers and clinics. Transportation woes exacerbate this—rural women often travel hundreds of miles, only to turn back at checkpoints.
Analysts blame a mix of inefficiency and overzealous security. ‘Post-9/11 regulations have ossified into a barrier,’ notes policy expert Imran Siddiqui. While the government touts digital portals for applications, ground realities show persistent delays, with average processing times hitting 45 days.
Hope flickers through grassroots efforts. Organizations like the Edhi Foundation provide escorted convoys, and advocacy groups push for ‘women-only’ fast-track lanes. The report urges Islamabad to act: simplify paperwork, train border staff on medical urgency, and bolster clinic protections. Until then, fear and forms continue to claim lives silently.
