12/11/2025
๐๐น๐ฎ๐ฟ๐บ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฆ๐๐ฟ๐ด๐ฒ ๐ถ๐ป ๐๐ฝ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฑ๐ถ๐
๐๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐ ๐ฅ๐ฒ๐ฝ๐ผ๐ฟ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ถ๐ป ๐ฆ๐ต๐ถ๐บ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐น, ๐๐๐ป๐๐ฎ
๐๐ข๐ค๐ฌ ๐ฐ๐ง ๐ฅ๐ฐ๐ค๐ต๐ฐ๐ณ๐ด, ๐ข๐ฎ๐ฃ๐ถ๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐ค๐ฆ ๐ด๐ฆ๐ณ๐ท๐ช๐ค๐ฆ๐ด, ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฅ ๐ฑ๐ฐ๐ฐ๐ณ ๐ณ๐ฐ๐ข๐ฅ ๐ค๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ฅ๐ช๐ต๐ช๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ด ๐ธ๐ฐ๐ณ๐ด๐ฆ๐ฏ ๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ข๐ญ๐ต๐ฉ ๐ค๐ณ๐ช๐ด๐ช๐ด ๐ช๐ฏ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ณ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ต๐ฆ ๐ท๐ข๐ญ๐ญ๐ฆ๐บ
HUNZA (Special Correspondent) โ An unusual rise in appendix cases has been reported from the remote valley of Shimshal in District Hunza, sparking serious concern among local residents.
According to community sources, more than 25 people from Shimshal have undergone appendix pain in recent weeks, most of them children and young adults. On Wednesday alone, 19 patients were referred from Shimshal to the District Headquarters (DHQ) Hospital in Aliabad, while 9 others had already been transported to Hunza and Gilgit earlier.
Local reports indicate a severe shortage of healthcare services in the area. There is no ambulance service available between Shimshal and Central Hunza, forcing families to hire private vehicles for patient transport. Residents said they are paying between Rs20,000 and Rs25,000 to reach Gulmit or Aliabad, while appendix surgeries at the Aga Khan Health Centre cost around Rs80,000.
Sources at DHQ Hospital Aliabad confirmed that only one surgeon is currently available to perform appendix operations. Due to the lack of pediatric facilities, children under 13 years of age are being referred to Aga Khan Health Services.
Despite limited resources, the local health staff in Shimshalโparticularly the nursesโhave played a vital role in saving lives through timely diagnosis and treatment. However, the absence of a permanent doctor, lack of ambulance services, and poor road conditions have further aggravated the crisis.
Residents have appealed to the Government of Gilgit-Baltistan, the Department of Health, the Deputy Commissioner Hunza, the Assistant Commissioner Gojal, Aga Khan University, and the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) to urgently investigate the causes and improve healthcare facilities in Shimshal.
