When I was 7 yrs old, my cousin Sameera died from #leukaemia

She was 15 & initially we thought she had the ‘flu

There were no curative treatments in the 80’s & she sadly died

I was heartbroken

In our faith, people gather at the family home to pay their respects

1/5 After school, I would go & visit my aunt & cousins

The front door was always open

People would come & join in prayers

And I remember our childhood #GP , Dr Minwalla, coming after surgery

He wasn’t #Muslim but was very much our family dr & came every evening

2/5

I looked at my computer screen to see who was coming in next:

96 years old, male

He walked in, standing tall & proud

Wearing a three piece, perfectly pressed suit

& a pure white turban

His eyes were tired with cataracts, but they still had a twinkle

1/7 He waited for me to offer a chair, before he sat down

He told me about his headaches & his dizziness & medications

& I assessed him & we planned what to do

“Where are you from, betta (daughter)?” he asked

We both had a connection in our roots

2/7

When I first qualified as a #GP

An elderly man came to see me

He mentioned a symptom & we addressed it

He then sat there for a few seconds

His records showed he came the same time every yr

With a simple symptom

“What’s really bothering you?” I asked

“Your eyes seem sad”

1 He told me that every year he came to the drs

He would mention a made up symptom to see if they would listen or take him seriously

If he didn’t think they did, he left

It was the anniversary of his son’s death & he never knew what else to do

2

We’ve heard moaning from a well paid leader today

So here is a list of things I have seen my patients struggle with:

Going without meals so their children don’t

Not getting their prescriptions for important medications, like asthma inhalers

1/4 Missing school not having sanitary products

Walking 13 miles daily for work, not being able to afford bus fare

Despairing they’ve walked 6 miles to the food bank & it is closed, having not eaten for 2 days

Giving up work because childcare costs more than what they earn

2/4