Healing Kashmir: How Free Medical Camps Are Saving Lives Across Azad Kashmir

The Hidden Health Crisis in the Valleys of Kashmir

In the remote mountain regions of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, medical help is often a distant dream. The breathtaking landscapes conceal a harsh reality — families walking for hours to reach a clinic, mothers giving birth without medical supervision, and elderly patients enduring chronic illnesses with no access to doctors.

For over 4.4 million people living in these valleys, healthcare isn’t a privilege — it’s a desperate need. Many villages in Neelum Valley, Hattian Bala, and Muzaffarabad remain isolated due to poor infrastructure and mountainous terrain. For them, a single medical camp can mean the difference between life and death.

That’s why Kashmir Welfare Foundation has made a long-term commitment to bridge this healthcare gap through free medical camps and the upcoming Mobile Hospital Unit — an advanced facility on wheels designed to deliver diagnostic, preventive, and emergency care directly to those who need it most.

The Urgent Need: When Distance Becomes a Barrier to Life

According to the AJK Bureau of Statistics (2024), there are only 1,148 doctors serving the entire region — that’s one doctor for every 3,886 residents. There are just 8 teaching hospitals, 7 district hospitals, and 14 tehsil-level hospitals for a population spread across rugged terrain and more than 1,700 villages.

With 2,950 hospital beds, that means just one bed for every 1,512 people. For many, the nearest hospital is a six-hour journey away.

The consequences are devastating:

• Maternal mortality: 104 per 100,000 live births
• Infant mortality: 47–51 per 1,000 births
• Common causes of death: stroke, cardiac failure, chronic kidney disease, pneumonia, and diabetes

Preventable diseases are claiming lives daily. Many families delay seeking treatment due to poverty or distance — and by the time they reach help, it’s often too late.

Abdul Basit, Trustee of Kashmir Welfare Foundation, puts it simply:

“Healthcare is not a privilege, it’s a right. Our mission is to make that right accessible to every Kashmiri, no matter how far they live from a hospital.”

Our Mission: Bringing Healthcare to Those Left Behind

Kashmir Welfare Foundation’s medical camps are transforming this reality. Working with local doctors, nurses, and volunteers, our teams bring free medical check-ups, essential medicines, and diagnostic support directly to underserved communities.

In 2024 alone, over 4,000 patients received treatment through these camps. Each one represents a story of pain turned into hope — children treated for infections, elderly patients diagnosed early with chronic conditions, and mothers receiving vital maternal care for the first time in their lives.

From general medicine and paediatrics to women’s health, ophthalmology, and infectious disease control, these medical camps are providing a lifeline to those who would otherwise go without care.

Real Stories of Impact: Hope in the Valleys

Saika’s Story – A Life That Could Have Been Saved
Saika, a 14-year-old girl from Neelum Valley, suffered from an undiagnosed condition that required urgent attention. Her family couldn’t afford the long journey to a hospital in Muzaffarabad. Tragically, she passed away before receiving treatment. Her story drives our resolve to bring healthcare closer to every family in Kashmir.

Abdul Muiz – A Second Chance at Life
A father of three from Hattian Bala, Abdul Muiz developed a severe leg infection from a small wound. When he arrived at one of our medical camps, his condition was critical. Our doctors treated the infection and provided follow-up care, saving him from a potential amputation.

Every story like these reminds us that access to healthcare should never depend on geography or income.

📲 Donate today and be a part of this life-changing mission!
Sponsor the Mobile Health Unit, urgently needed In Kashmir

Give Sadaqah – Make a World Of Difference to someone in need today
Regular Giving – Your ongoing support helps the poor

Introducing the Mobile Hospital Unit – A Lifeline on Wheels

The next phase of our mission is the Mobile Hospital Unit — a fully equipped, modern healthcare facility designed to bring critical services to the most remote villages of Kashmir.

Each unit will include:

• Onboard consultation and diagnostic areas
• Ultrasound, ECG, and X-ray facilities
• Medicine dispensary and emergency equipment
• Trained doctors, nurses, and volunteers

This “hospital on wheels” will operate in rotation across districts like Neelum, Muzaffarabad, and Kotli, reaching communities that have never seen a medical vehicle before. It will serve as both a treatment centre and an educational platform for disease prevention, hygiene awareness, and maternal health.

Impact Box: Why Your Support Matters

📍 1 Doctor for every 3,886 people in AJK
🏥 1 Hospital bed per 1,512 people
👶 47–51 infant deaths per 1,000 births
💉 4,000+ patients treated in 2024
🚑 Goal: Launch 3 Mobile Hospital Units across remote valleys by 2025

Your donation will directly fund the medical equipment, staffing, and fuel needed to make this vision a reality.

How Your Zakat and Sadaqah Save Lives

Every pound donated has a tangible impact. When you give Zakat or Sadaqah to Kashmir Welfare Foundation, it funds medical camps, covers medication costs, and supports the logistics of the Mobile Hospital Unit.

(Donors are free to give any amount — every contribution brings us closer to saving more lives.)

Help bring healthcare where there is none.
Support the Mobile Hospital Unit today and ensure no child, mother, or elder in Kashmir is left untreated.

📲 Donate today and be a part of this life-changing mission!
Sponsor the Mobile Health Unit, urgently needed In Kashmir

Give Sadaqah – Make a World Of Difference to someone in need today
Regular Giving – Your ongoing support helps the poor

Why UK Donors Make the Difference

The Kashmir diaspora in the UK has long been the heartbeat of our mission. Every clinic we set up, every patient we treat, is made possible by your compassion.

When UK donors give, they do more than send aid — they build trust, accountability, and sustainability. Your contributions go directly towards medicine, medical staff, and emergency vehicles, ensuring 100% of donations are used where they’re needed most.

By ticking the Gift Aid box, UK taxpayers can increase their donation by 25% at no extra cost. It’s the easiest way to extend your mercy even further and ensure your kindness reaches more lives.

The Road Ahead: Building Sustainable Healthcare

The long-term goal is to make healthcare accessible, equitable, and continuous. Beyond emergency aid, Kashmir Welfare Foundation is working to establish:

• Permanent community health clinics in isolated districts.
• Women’s health programmes focusing on maternal and reproductive care.
• Health education initiatives to prevent disease and promote hygiene.

With the Mobile Hospital Unit as the backbone of this system, we are laying the foundation for a sustainable healthcare network in Azad Kashmir.

As Abdul Basit reminds us:

“The Mobile Hospital Unit is not just a vehicle — it’s a symbol of dignity. It tells every Kashmiri that their life matters, that they haven’t been forgotten.”

How Your Donation Helps

Transparency is at the heart of what we do. Every donation is monitored, accounted for, and directed towards measurable impact.

Your donation provides:

• Medicines for patients with chronic and acute illnesses
• Fuel and maintenance for mobile operations
• Salaries for local doctors and nurses
• Health awareness sessions for rural families

Every rupee spent is a step closer to ensuring that no one in Kashmir dies because help was too far away.

Why Give Now

Tonight, hundreds of families in Kashmir will sleep without medical help. Children with fevers, mothers in pain, and elders fighting to breathe — all waiting for care that may never arrive without your support.

Your donation today can change that. It can send a doctor to their village, deliver vital medicine, and restore hope where despair once lived.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How are the medical camps operated in remote areas?
Local doctors, volunteers, and field teams travel with essential medicines and diagnostic tools. Camps are held in schools, mosques, or community centres where villagers can access free care.

2. Can I donate my Zakat towards healthcare projects?
Yes. Zakat funds are eligible for medical projects that benefit the poor and sick, aligning fully with Islamic giving principles.

3. What is the 100% donation policy?
Every penny of your donation goes directly to the cause. Administrative costs are covered separately by dedicated supporters.

4. How does Gift Aid increase my donation?
If you’re a UK taxpayer, ticking the Gift Aid box allows Kashmir Welfare Foundation to claim an extra 25p for every £1 you give — at no cost to you.

5. What’s the difference between medical camps and the Mobile Hospital Unit?
Medical camps are temporary outreach events, while the Mobile Hospital Unit is a permanent, mobile facility providing year-round healthcare and diagnostics.

Final Appeal: A Call to Heal Kashmir

The people of Kashmir have shown extraordinary resilience in the face of adversity. But resilience alone cannot heal wounds, deliver medicine, or save lives. It needs your support.

With your Zakat, Sadaqah, and Regular Giving, you can help Kashmir Welfare Foundation launch more medical camps and Mobile Hospital Units, bringing healthcare to the heart of every valley.

Together, we can rewrite the story of healthcare in Kashmir.

📲 Donate today and be a part of this life-changing mission!
Sponsor the Mobile Health Unit, urgently needed In Kashmir

Give Sadaqah – Make a World Of Difference to someone in need today
Regular Giving – Your ongoing support helps the poor