Following Matan
Living in one of the slums of Karachi, Matan, 16years old, is the younger son of Lakha who earns his livelihood by selling silver utensils. He has lost his wife and his only daughter due to MDR TB couple of years ago. MDR TB being a contagious disease has now made Matan a victim in their house and has affected his life in a greater way.
This photo essay captures the routine of Matan’s life and encompasses the hardships he has to face being a patient of a deadly disease and how does Indus Hospital help him cure from it. It is also a melancholic experience for the viewer watching him fight the surroundings and keep the hope to be well soon.
Matan, 15 years old, is a MDR TB patient; enrolled in the Indus Hospital Community based TB program for a month now. According to the Treatment Coordinator, he has been living with this disease for a year.
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Matan’s mother, 14 years ago, and one elder sister, 3 years ago, have died due to MDR TB.
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“I live in one room kothi with my father, brother, sister-in-law and their six months old baby. It is not sufficient but due to poverty we are trying to manage.” His house does not have basic sanitary and cooking facilities and thus have to share it with their neighbors. The smoke from burning woods makes him cough more, but it is necessary to cook food.
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“I feel energetic and well when I am in mandir praying to God. There are now only two things that matter in my life, and those are dawa (medicines) and dua (prayers).”
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Matan comes to their basiti’s mandir (community’s temple) everyday after taking shower and prays for his good health.
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To keep Matan away from the smoke of the wood stove, his family members have started to cook in the alley. He needs to have breakfast of two eggs, butter, bread and milk, which his father prepares for him.
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His basic necessity for food is way higher than the amount which his family could afford. With the Indus Hopsital Community Health Programme, every MDR TB patients’ family is given a monthly amount to afford the food needs
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His basic necessity for food is way higher than the amount which his family could afford. With the Indus Hopsital Community Health Programme, every MDR TB patients’ family is given a monthly amount to afford the food needs.
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These are his life giving pills which are the hope of his survival. Every MDR TB patient has to continue its dose for two years without carelessness. Indus Hospital provides its patients these imported medicines without any charge.
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These are his life giving pills which are the hope of his survival. Every MDR TB patient has to continue its dose for two years without carelessness. Indus Hospital provides its patients these imported medicines without any charge.
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Matan has been taking these injections from his community doctor who may choose to keep his clinic closed anytime. The cost asked from him is Rs. 50, which is way higher than what he could afford.
In addition to the pills, Indus Hospital provides it’s patients with the a calculated dose of injections as well, which is to be injected by the treatment supporter.
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“I have a lump in my right hand by daily injecting medicines. It feels as if my hand will become hard like stone and I won’t be able to move it.” MDR TB patients need to take injections every day for a certain time, in order to aid the curing process.
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“I would love to play with kids outside my house, but my condition does not allow me to mingle with them.” Matan now considers himself to be a social outcast.
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In public Matan feels ashamed of wearing mask. His friends make fun about him and many have stopped talking to him after knowing his condition.
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Living in the area affected by water and sanitation problems, Matan faces more difficulties to perform his day to day activities. For him to cure early, he needs a clean environment which his family fails to afford due to poverty.
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Matan feels that he won’t be able to survive this disease as his sister and mother couldn’t survive with it as well. He is hopeful but the surroundings and poverty are challenging his hopes.
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