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International Medical Corps mourns the untimely death of Khwaja Baqui Billah, a soft-spoken, committed doctor on our Pakistan staff. Known affectionately as Dr. K.B, he died in a car accident while traveling home for the EID holidays in late October. He leaves behind a grieving family, including a fiancée he was soon to marry.
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After graduating medical school, Dr. K.B. worked in a large hospital in Peshawar while also providing free care at a clinic on nights and weekends. Upon seeing the devastation caused by the October 2005 earthquake, he turned to International Medical Corps.
“I want to serve the traumatized people with the skills that I have, as I do not have money to help them. Joining IMC will help me help the people,” he said in his initial interview with IMC. He was assigned to work in the Bassian camp for internally displaced people and soon became a trusted friend in the community.
“K.B. had the ability to adapt to the communities and their culture so quickly that he became part of the community very soon,” said Aftab, an IMC male nurse who worked with him in Bassian camp. And in a culture where women are often reluctant to be seen by male doctors, he put them at ease. “His female patients admired him for his character and friendly voice, which encouraged them to visit the BHU (Basic Health Unit), even when a female doctor was not available,” said Vincent, an IMC program Manager and close colleague.
Motivated by his passion to serve the earthquake affected communities, Dr. K.B. endured chilling night shifts during the emergency phase. “He also volunteered to work with mobile health teams to assist people in remote and hard-to-access areas, where he often stayed in tents at night,” said another colleague.
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Dr. K.B. later became a Team Leader, serving ten underutilized government BHUs in Balakot and the remote Kaghan valley. He used local area knowledge acquired during his work in the emergency phase to reach out to isolated areas through community gathering places such as Hujras and Mosques, which were used to announce upcoming IMC mobile team visits. This allowed IMC to access a large number of people in inaccessible areas with no health facilities.
Continually showing his commitment to IMC and the people it serves, Dr. K.B. also worked with mental health teams to assist their patients. “Although he was not officially on our team, I feel as if I have lost one of my own team members, as he voluntarily helped us in the identification and distribution of learning and recreational materials in Hangrai, Ghanool, Talhatta, Banda Balakot and other areas,” said IMC Mental health coordinator Dr. Sabah.
Hailing from a modest background, he helped his family financially while also planning a wedding with a girl in his village. He planned to marry in a few weeks. After working tirelessly during the month of Ramadan, he was going back to his home for a short EID holiday when he was involved in the fatal car accident. His colleagues still remember his words that he was coming back shortly. “It is so moving, as his patients from as far as Hangrai visited him in his hospital bed,” said IMCs’ Dr. Shahzaman who worked with him.
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His dedication will be remembered throughout the places he served. “People in the remote areas still ask about Dr. K.B. and it is very difficult for me to tell them that he is no more,” said Fozia, an IMC Lady Health Visitor who worked with him in Bassian camp and the mobile clinics.
And while Dr. K.B. has passed, he is an inspiring example of selflessness, dedication and the willingness to help all those in need. His work stands-out as exemplary, and everyone at International Medical Corps, particularly those he served with in Pakistan, would like to thank him for the significant role he played in helping IMC assist thousands in the earthquake affected region.
