A Quadriplegic Doctor Denied to Give Up and She Specialized in Pychiatry To Treats Mentally-sick People

Brief Story

Dr. Anum Najam in an outpatient consultation room.

In March 2008 Dr. Anum Najam while she was on her mid way to become a doctor, that is to say -in her third year in medical school- lost function of the four human limbs, including the trunk, so, she is permanently unable to move any part of her body below the neck after a group of armed robbers fired a bullets to stop their car in a deserted area while she was with her family returning from a wedding ceremony held at Rawalpindi, the fourth-largest city in Pakistan by population.

Unfortunately, a shot had crossed from her mother, broken her arm and finally gain access into Dr. Anum’s neck resulting an injury to the spinal cord, a condition known as in medical term as ‘quadriplegia’ which led her to ask help if she needs to sit up, or turn position in bed, and to grasp things as she cannot hold anything and can’t move her neck, legs and arms too.

She has been hospitalized and given an advice that she can no longer able to pursue her ordinary work including schooling, and that there is no hope for her to recover from this condition, after all, she did not wish to give up and decided to continues her studies with all those odds, she was insisted that she still had heart and mind to tackle every problem.

Her Journey to Medical Education

   Even with being unable to hold a pen or turn the pages of her books, she resumed her studies in a wheelchair a few short months after the incident. She wasn’t able to look after herself in any way as she had no grip in her hands, and so she needed a personal caretaker all the time.

Her mother made a selfless sacrifice and used to move with her to Abbottabad from their home in Muzaffarabad to live with her in the hostel and help her every day. She says “Every single day was a massive challenge but with the grace of the Almighty and with the unconditional support of my family, friends and teachers”

 She completed her MBBS at Ayub Medical College without wasting even a single academic year. And she is still in a wheelchair and now working in CMH Muzaffarabad, having specialized in Psychiatry from Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayd Hospital.

Fulfilling her Mission

Dr. Anum receiving and award

 She is become the first quadriplegic physician in the world, and was awarded several medal awards, and become talented motivator who gave speech several summits and conferences. She realized her dream to become a doctor and found her way to specialize diseases affecting the human minds and how to treat them, a specialty named Psychiatry, and her aim is to essentially support people in being able to find peace, balance and control in what can no doubt sometimes be a difficult life.

You can find Dr. Anum Najam at Facebook