Why a free pharmacy matters
In District Bagh’s high-altitude hamlets, a simple course of insulin or blood-pressure tablets can cost a month’s income and the nearest market town is a four-hour trek away. Untreated, manageable conditions snowball into disability or early death, pulling entire families deeper into poverty. Guided by the Qur’anic promise that “Whoever saves a life, it is as if he saved all of humanity,” we opened the valley’s first free community pharmacy so no one has to choose between food and medicine.
How the programme works
- Monthly mobile clinic — Local volunteers collect prescriptions, doctors in town authorise refills, and field teams hike the medicines back up the trails.
- Central storeroom with cold-chain fridge — Ensures insulin and vaccines stay potent despite summer heat and winter power cuts.
- Patient tracking cards — A simple ledger system records dosages, refill dates and vital signs, building a continuity of care few rural areas enjoy.
- Education sessions — Each supply run ends with small-group talks on dosage, diet and recognising danger signs, empowering patients to manage their own health.
Impact so far
- 100+ chronic-illness patients receive free medication every month (diabetes, hypertension, asthma, epilepsy).
- 12 remote villages covered by rotating delivery routes.
- Zero stock-outs recorded in the past year thanks to our advance-ordering system and community emergency fund.
- School attendance up among children with asthma and epilepsy now that symptoms are controlled.
What’s next
- Add basic lab diagnostics — glucometers, haemoglobin tests and pregnancy kits so treatment can be adjusted on the spot.
- Train two local health aides to handle triage and record-keeping, freeing doctors to focus on complex cases.
- Extend coverage to neighbouring valleys once reliable footpaths reopen after the monsoon season.
How you can be part of it
- Donate medicines or equipment — sealed strips of tablets, inhalers, glucometer strips, even lightweight solar chargers for the fridge.
- Sponsor a patient’s monthly kit — ensure their next refill is waiting when the team arrives.
- Spread the word — share our story, organise a collection drive, or dedicate your giving as continuous Sadaqah Jariyah.
Together we are proving that access to essential medicine is not a privilege but a right—one timely dose, one relieved family, one saved life at a time.