Photo By Staff Sgt. Brandon Pomrenke | Dr. Aisha Daley takes a moment in her office in the modern operating theatre within...... read more read more
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KABUL, Afghanistan – Many well-educated Afghans attempt to escape the ravages of war throughout the country, but others are finding ways to return and help rebuild prospects for Afghanistan’s future.
Dr. Aisha Daley, a Kabul-born doctor, currently works as an interpreter for the 404th Civil Affairs battalion based in Bagram and has returned with a goal to propel Afghan medical and general education forward.
In 1976, at the age of 17, Daley moved to Turkey with her family. She later attended medical school in Istanbul, where she earned her doctorate after seven years and became an obstetrician/gynecologist, or OB/GYN.
Since her first return to Afghanistan, she has seen many ups and downs.
“When I finished my residency I came back to Afghanistan to serve Afghan women in 1992,” explained Daley. “But by that time, the Mujahadeen was in power. I started working in a hospital and they wanted me to cover myself, but I never did. And also I tried to talk with women about birth control; they didn’t like that and they put night letters at my house.”
The threats eventually became a deadly reality. One night when Daley was home with her family, her house was bombed. Although she was lucky enough to escape with her two young children and most of her family, her mother-in-law was killed.
“My father was scared for my life and he arranged a truck for me and my children,” Daley said. “My husband was injured by that time. We escaped to the truck and left Afghanistan to go back to Turkey. We slept for five days in the back of the truck until we crossed the Iran border and escaped into Turkey.”
Her family’s daring escape took them to the safety of Turkey. After a few years, she took her family to the United States.
“In 1996 I sought political asylum in the United States. I had two children and my husband passed away. But now I’ve come back,” Daley said.
Although she is away from her children while working in Afghanistan, Daley is fulfilling a goal she set for herself during her childhood.
“When I was 12 years old my mom was pregnant,” she said. “She couldn’t find a female OB/GYN in Kabul to go to. There was one doctor, the only OB/GYN at the time, and he told my mom she would die at the end of the pregnancy. My mom was pregnant with the sixth one. She was crying and after that I promised myself I would become an OB/GYN and help these women, and I did.”
Her childhood did not only light her desire to be a doctor, it also gave Daley an insight into family life.
“I grew up as a Muslim,” she explained. “But my father was very open-minded. Growing up in a Muslim family, I never covered myself. But you [saw] modern women in boots and modern clothing. Where we went, nobody could say anything.”
Since that time, she has seen many changes. From power shifts to religious zeal, women and children both suffered many hardships.
“One day after I came back here [to Afghanistan], I passed a street and I saw a crowd and I asked what was going on there,” she said. “A group of men wanted a bicycle from a man who was walking with his wife. He rejected them and they cut his wife’s breast. He explained it was his only transportation and they cut his wife.”
An attack such as this is an extreme example, but they still happened. Without a safety net provided by any sort of women’s rights or equal rights programs, there was little to no protection. This was also evident in the amount of domestic violence that Daley witnessed.
“Another thing that bothers me is violence,” she said. “Violence is common in this country. It’s so hard to see a family with a happy marriage. When I talk with [some women] I ask about their home situation. Many are beaten by husbands, or mothers-in-law,or fathers-in-law even. And they won’t let them come to the hospital.”
Daley thinks the only way to stop this vicious cycle of violence is education.
“They need family education, not just women,” she explained emphatically. “I believe it is important for women and men to get education. They have to realize about equal rights.”
Teaching spouses to care for one another and share a mutual respect just may open a doorway to a sense of safety within one’s home. After all, if you cannot feel safe behind your own doors, where can you?
The combination of violence and lack of access to education may be a contributing cause to the many cases of depression and anger seen by Daley, she explained.
“Because of this lack of education, they are behind and so are their children,” she said in regards to some of her depressed women patients. “That anger, I’ve seen, makes them very upset and they even punish their children with boiling water.”
To emphasize her point, Daley showed a picture taken of a young Afghan girl who had been severely burned by water. For the safety of the child and in keeping with confidentiality, she would not share the child’s name or show her face. Not knowing who the girl was added to the horrifying feeling that it could happen to any child at any time for the smallest of offences.
Daley continued, ‘I think it comes from depression and these 30 years of war. I cannot imagine a mother punishing her children with hot water.”
Of all her experiences, including the attack on her family home, the memory of a young Afghan girl was the one that brought tears to Daley’s eyes. She briefly explained her encounter with the young girl and her mother. The girl’s mother asked Daley to restore her daughter’s virginity through surgery because she thought that the girl’s attack would shame the family. This one instance could ruin the young girl’s chance for marriage and a healthy future. Because of medical regulations and rules for visiting medical professionals, Daley could not do the surgery.
Despite sometimes emotionally painful experiences, Daley continues to push on with her mission to educate and care for Afghans. As the days go by and she meets with more and more Afghan children, she starts to see a new hope for her country.
“As I’m learning, between 15 and 35 years old, when I talk with [patients], they don’t have any education,” Daley said. “The Taliban kept them from school. And if any girls went to school they would have acid thrown on them…and I’ve seen many cases. I wish to help one day to bring in all these girls and help them.”
The younger generations may yet still be the secret to success in Afghanistan.
“At that time many [Daley’s return in 1996] educated people were killed or ran from the country for the past 30 years,” said Daley. “But right now, everybody is trying to educate themselves, especially the young generation. I am very happy for girls to go to school and educate themselves. Many love to get educated and want to be doctors or lawyers. That gives hope to this country.”
Medical care is also at the top of Daley’s list of priorities within Afghanistan. As a licensed doctor, she understands that sometimes people must return to the basics.
“There is lack of knowledge and water leading to many diseases,” she said. “Many Afghans come with thyroid problems. Afghanistan is a mountain area and there is a deficiency of iodine. I hope the Afghan government does something to at least bring in iodine salt to help these people.”
Her work with the 404th Civil Affairs battalion has given her the chance to travel to many remote clinics. Part of her job is to visit these clinics and use her medical knowledge to assist with assessments.
Daley also volunteers at a Korean hospital in Bagram. Her time is spent between translating and offering her professional medical advice.
“So many times we’ll be on missions and we’ll talk with healthcare officials and they say ‘we don’t need anything’, but when we go assess the clinics they are very poor,” Daley said. “The people come to me [at the clinic where she volunteers] and they are staying until they get free medical care from the Egyptian and Korean hospitals. Some wait for two or three days to be seen.”
Because of Afghan traditions, women may need extra care when being seen. Female nurses are available at the clinics, but Daley performs many of the female exams, especially for pregnant women. Her duties don’t end there, however. She also works alongside the civil affairs teams to teach women and families how to care for themselves.
“In the Korean hospital, from May 2010, I started a class for Afghan females to teach hygiene and about basic medical knowledge,” Daley explained. “Our civil affairs team also helps teach. We gave them some hygiene packages after the class. They can know about hygiene and take care of their babies. If they are bleeding or hemorrhaging during pregnancy, then they will know what to do.”
While she works with other agencies to accomplish her mission, there are still obstacles to overcome; however, she feels that care can improve overall. Yet with a shortage of doctors, nurses and midwives, it may take some time.
“Some things are getting worse, maybe ten years it will be better,” Daley said. “But it’s better than yesterday. Maybe the next generation will be better. You can build a building, but it will not be done overnight.”
Working side by side with the military and other civilian health agencies, Daley feels that the combined effort will continue to make a difference for the health and happiness of Afghan people.
“I’ve heard many Afghans say they appreciate it,” Daley shared. “We work for freedom, and freedom is not free. I’m sure many Afghan women really appreciate it. For what I have right now, I am thankful.”
| Date Taken: | 02.11.2011 |
| Date Posted: | 02.15.2011 06:35 |
| Story ID: | 65457 |
| Location: | KABUL, AF |
| Web Views: | 463 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Afghan doctor returns home, offers prognosis for future of Afghanistan, by SSG Brandon Pomrenke, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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