Tributes pour in for Pakistan’s ‘Mother Teresa’
Dr Ruth Pfau made Pakistan home and dedicated her life to fighting the stigmatised menace of leprosy
August 10, 2017
The ‘Messiah’ for leprosy patients in Pakistan, the country’s very own ‘Mother Teresa’ Dr Ruth Pfau, whose compassion transformed thousands of lives, lost her battle with life early Thursday morning at 87.
Tributes began pouring in from dignitaries for the German nun, who came to Pakistan in the 1960s and stayed, dedicating her life to rescuing and treating lepers who had been left disfigured by the disease and were shunned by the society for fear of being contagious.
President Mamnoon Hussain expressed grief at the demise of Dr Pfau and paid tribute to her services for the helpless and neglected in the country.
“Dr Pfau’s services to end leprosy in Pakistan cannot be forgotten. She left her homeland and made Pakistan her home to serve humanity. Pakistani nation salutes Dr Pfau and her great tradition to serve humanity will be continued,” the President stated.
Chief Minister Punjab Shehbaz Sharif expressed sadness at her death and said Dr Pfau set an unprecedented example by serving humanity with compassion and selflessness.
“Dr Pfau’s services to [fight leprosy and tuberculosis] will always be remembered,” the chief minister said.
People reacted to the news of her demise with grief and regret, and remembered her in golden words.
Born in Leipzig, Germany on September 9, 1929, Dr Pfau suffered through the horrors of the Second World War. She saw her younger brother die, and risked her own life escaping East Germany.
"If I give any sense to these years, it is a preparation to be ready to help others," she was once quoted as saying.
After completing a medical degree and joining a French Roman Catholic Order, she visited Pakistan in the 1960s and stayed after first seeing leprosy during a visit to a dispensary in Karachi.
Dr Pfau was recognised extensively for her services to humanity. She received the Hilal-i-Pakistan award and was also awarded the very high civil award of Nishan-i-Quaid-e-Azam for public service.
