“Our pregnant women are dying on the roads. We are like prisoners,” said Bashir Ahmad, a resident of Helmat village in the upper region of Union Council Grace in the Neelum Valley of Pakistan-administered Kashmir. His younger brother, Abbas’s wife, passed away on January 11, 2025, when she was being carried over a snow-covered road to the hospital.
Abbas, the deceased woman’s husband, in a brief conversation with (K News), said, “I do not blame anyone for my wife’s death; it was just God’s will. However, I urge the government to provide health facilities here so that no other pregnant woman dies in the same manner as my wife.”
Bashir Ahmad stated that the local health department’s hospital in Helmat had no staff that day. Therefore, they were taking the woman to the army’s medical center when she passed away at around 8:00 AM, just near the hospital. He further explained that the community midwife from the Public Health Department, Shahida, had visited the woman the previous night and made every effort to care for her.
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Bashir Ahmad added, “The road has less than a foot of snow, and the government has not been able to clear it for the past two weeks. If the road had been open, we could have taken my sister-in-law to the hospital in a car. After this incident, a machine has been put in place to clear the road.”
In contrast to the relatives’ version, the community midwife, Shahida, offered a different account. According to Shahida, when she reached the woman that night, the woman was unconscious and unresponsive. Shahida said that the woman was taken to the Pakistan Army’s medical center at 7:00 AM, where the doctor declared her dead. Shahida confirmed that she was present at the time.
Shahida further shared with The Azadi Times that the deceased woman was having her seventh child, with four surviving children and two previous deaths. Shahida also mentioned that during a previous delivery at the hospital, the woman had been advised to take extra precautions and attend regular check-ups, but this was not done. There were no tests or ultrasounds, and the woman had a severe iron deficiency, which led to her death.
District Health Officer for Neelum District, Dr. Ghulam Nabi, stated that three days prior, a lady health worker, Zarina, had examined the woman and advised her to go to the hospital due to her anemia. However, the woman was not taken to the hospital. Dr. Ghulam Nabi also denied the claim that the hospital had no staff that day, stating that the woman was never brought to the hospital.
Shah Ghulam Qadir, a member of the Azad Kashmir Assembly from Neelum Valley, was contacted about his views. He mentioned that for the first time, the government, with the cooperation of the World Health Organization, had started work on constructing an RHC hospital building in Grace Valley to ensure better healthcare facilities.
However, the project was delayed due to extremely cold weather, snow, and harsh seasonal conditions. As soon as the weather improves, work will resume, and doctors, including gynecologists, will be appointed to the hospital. He also claimed that he had allocated funds for road improvement in Grace Valley. He criticized political opponents, especially a councilor from the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party, for using negative politics to defame his efforts.
Deputy Commissioner of Neelum District, Nadeem Janjua, told (K News) that a bulldozer machine was working to clear the road to Grace Valley. Despite the reduced snow this year compared to previous years, the cold weather had caused a thick layer of frost to form on the road, creating dangerous conditions. He explained that the exceptionally cold weather was the primary cause of the road’s poor condition.
Grace Valley, one of the most remote and underdeveloped areas in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, comprises two union councils. During winter, the roads often become inaccessible, creating major difficulties for people seeking medical treatment. The main road connecting this region is now 70% paved, and once completed, it will greatly help reduce the challenges faced by locals. The construction of the hospital is expected to alleviate healthcare difficulties in the region.
Located near the Line of Control, this area experiences a surge of tourists during the summer months. However, while it is a beautiful destination in the warmer seasons, the harsh winter brings severe challenges for the residents.
