Dr. Amir Masala: UWCL Member and Founder of the Aisha Bryan Foundation
As a doctor, I have dedicated my life to healing and preserving life. Every day, I witness the miracles of medicine, the triumphs over disease, and the joy of successful deliveries. But within these moments of celebration, there are instances when, despite our best efforts, we must confront the harsh reality of limitations beyond our control. The sad story of Aisha is one such moment, where the weight of poverty became an insurmountable obstacle.
I vividly remember the day when I attended to a 21-year-old Aisha, who was pregnant with twins, her first pregnancy. She had been referred to me by a midwife as her blood pressure was worryingly high. Aisha greeted me with a hopeful smile, her eyes reflecting a mixture of anticipation and worry. As we conversed, I admired her strength and unwavering determination to bring her twins into this world. Little did I know the challenges that awaited us.
It was clear that she needed hypertensive medications for the remainder of pregnancy. Unfortunately, we did not have the specific medication to lower her blood pressure and also be safe to consume during pregnancy. As we normally do in such situations, we advised her to buy the medication from external pharmacies. I gave her a follow-up date 3 days later to enable us to monitor the effect of the prescribed medicine on her blood pressure. Sadly, due to financial limitations, she was unable to return three days later, nor did she manage to purchase the prescribed medication.
As a result of the uncontrolled high blood pressure, her placenta detached from the uterus, causing acute massive bleeding. Aisha was brought to the clinic in shock from excessive bleeding. We called an ambulance, which unfortunately was 45km away from the main referral point. We fought against the odds, driven by a determination to give Aisha and her unborn children a fighting chance, but she had lost her life by the time the ambulance arrived. We did a post-mortem Caesarean Section, but we were also unable to save the twin babies.
I stood there in silence, my hands covered in Aisha's blood, and felt an overwhelming sense of sorrow, for I knew that poverty had claimed yet another victim. It was not just Aisha who suffered, but also her innocent twins, who never had a chance to take their first breath.
At her funeral the following day, it occurred to me that we had lost three souls because someone could not afford medication worth less than US$10/Tsh20,000/=.
Aisha's story serves as a constant reminder to society to address the deep-rooted inequalities that perpetuate such tragic outcomes. Every life lost to poverty is a profound loss for humanity, and this inspired me to start fundraising for funds to buy medication not ordinarily available at remote clinics like the one where Aisha lost her life. I started a project, the Aisha Bryan Foundation, in her memory. This also inspired me to become a member of United We Change Lives which seeks to empower communities through addressing poverty and other forms of social injustice. I will continue to fight for a future where poverty no longer dictates the fate of individuals and their unborn children. Aisha's memory will live on and continue to drive me to advocate for a world where poverty and healthcare disparities are eradicated, and every life is valued and protected.
