A year later, Nation remembers its 'Mother Teresa' Dr. Ruth Pfau
Selfless Dr. Ruth Pfau spent 57 tireless years in serving Pakistan.
(WebDesk/APP/DunyaNews) - Nation is commemorating Dr. Ruth Pfau’s first death anniversary. A year has been passed but the memories of Dr. Ruth Pfau are still subsisted in our memories.
Dr. Ruth Pfau reached at every corner where no one dare to reach to help the patients suffering from leprosy. Photo: File
Dr. Pfau, the Mother Teresa of Pakistan, who has served the nation selflessly for her whole life to eradicate leprosy in Pakistan. She raised the bars to such extent which would be hard to match.
— Govt of Pakistan (@pid_gov) August 10, 2018
— Yasser Latif Hamdani (@theRealYLH) August 10, 2018
— Shehbaz Sharif (@CMShehbaz) August 10, 2018
— Aaliya Shah (@AaliyaShah1) August 10, 2018
— Mehr Tarar (@MehrTarar) August 10, 2018
— Mohammad Zubair (@RealM_Zubair) August 10, 2018
— Martin Kobler (@KoblerinPAK) August 10, 2018
To pay the regards to Dr. Pfau, a congregation ceremony was held in St. Patrick’s School whch was attended by the Mary Adelaide leprosy center’s staffers, Dr. Pfau’s sister Dr. Marwin Lobo and others social personalities. Dr. Ruth Pfau served Pakistan for 57 years and succeeded in eradicating leprosy from Pakistan. She reached to the afflicted patients anywhere others could not reach.
Selfless Dr. Ruth Pfau spent 57 tireless years in serving Pakistan. Photo: File
Dr. Pfau first came to Pakistan when she was 29 years of age in 1960. As a part of the Society of Daughters of the Heart of Mary, her devotion to doing something in and for Pakistan took her to become Pakistan’s leprosy fighter. She had studied medicine and was sent to India in 1960 by her order, the Daughters of the Heart of Mary, but was stuck in Karachi owing to a visa issue.
Dr Pfau witnessed leprosy in Pakistan for the first time in 1960 and returned to set up clinics across the country. Dr Pfau rescued disfigured and suffering children who had been confined to caves and cattle pens for years by their parents, who were terrified that they were contagious.
She trained Pakistani doctors and attracted foreign donations, founding Pakistan s National Leprosy Control Programme and the Marie Adelaide Leprosy Centre, which has a presence in every Pakistani province. Dr Pfau also won praise for her efforts in helping the victims of devastating floods in south-western Pakistan in 2010.
Also Read: Honouring the saviour: Dr. Ruth Pfau s quarters turned into museum
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Less than four decades after Dr Pfau began her campaign, the World Health Organization declared it under control in Pakistan in 1996, ahead of most other Asian countries.Photo: File
She received numerous honours for her work, including the Hilal-e-Imtiaz - Pakistan s second highest civilian award - in 1979, the Hilal-e-Pakistan in 1989 and the German Staufer Medal in 2015. Less than four decades after Dr Pfau began her campaign, the World Health Organization declared it under control in Pakistan in 1996, ahead of most other Asian countries. Dr Pfau passed away on August 10, 2017 at a hospital in Karachi when she was 87.
Nation remebers Dr. Ruth Pfau on her first death anniversary. Photo: File
Then-prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi had announced a state funeral for her and said Dr Pfau "may have been born in Germany, but her heart was always in Pakistan".
Also Read: State funeral for Dr Ruth Pfau underway in Karachi
Rs. 50 coined was issued by the government of Pakistan in the recognition of meritorious services rendered by Dr Ruth Pfau
In May this year, Governor State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) Tariq Bajwa along with German Ambassador to Pakistan Martin Kobler unveiled Rs50 commemorative coin in recognition of meritorious services rendered by Dr Ruth Pfau.
