Conclusion & Acknowledgements
The earthquake in NW Pakistan was a devastating event. The victims and their families showed strength, courage and dignity in extreme circumstances. My team and I built up a strong level of trust with them by working until we quite literally were ready to drop at times and they put their faith in us. I feel privileged that my own circumstances put me in a position to help them.
There were and still are many lessons to be learnt in the aftermath. It would be a double tragedy to the dead and maimed if something positive cannot be put in place from all this for the future of the survivors. My colleagues and I continue to work to this goal.
AKNOWLEDGEMENTS
My role in this work is nothing without the many friends, colleagues and organisations both in the UK and Pakistan who formed our team or supported it .I extend my thanks to all but a few deserve a special mention.
My colleagues in the British Association of Plastic Surgeons were receptive to our assessment of the situation and responded quickly to our request for more teams. This undoubtedly saved many lives and limbs.
Dr Amjid Mohammed (Consultant in Emergency Medicine, Huddersfield-Halifax) put together and lead our team through two relief trips in the aftermath of the NW Pakistan earthquake, followed by further trips to improve the quality of emergency medicine in the region.
Dr Huma Jadun and Dr Ghazala have worked tirelessly with our team and on their own projects to try to rebuild the shattered lives in the region. Without Dr Huma's support our efforts would have come to little. Dr Ghazala found and funded a hospital for us when we had many patients in need of urgent treatment, but nowhere to treat them.
My father Dr Riaz Saeed (GP) swapped a peaceful and safe retirement for the mountains of NW Pakistan and has been an integral member of our team since. His experience and expertise was invaluable in Dec 2005. He, Dr Amjid Mohammed and Dr Saika Rahuja joined Dr Huma and Dr Ghazala to provide primary care to the most remote areas affected by the disaster. This work continues.
There are many more as the images below will convey.
Waseem Saeed
January 2008
 DR AMJID MOHAMMMED CENTRE WITH UNITED NATIONS OFFICER OCT 05 |  DR HUMA AND PATIENT DEC 05 |
 MR ASAD SYED ORTHOPAEDIC SURGEON WITH PATIENT OCT 05 |  KHALIL SATTAR, CENTRE OCT 05 |
 DR RIAZ SAEED FAR LEFT WITH RELIEF CAMP TEAM DEC 05 |  DR SAIKA RAHUJA MOUNTAIN RELIEF CAMP TRIP JAN O6 |
 DR FOUZIA IHSAN FUNDRAISING,SUPPLIES AND COORDINATION |  DR HANS KLEIN ABBOTTABAD DEC 05 |
 CHARGE NURSE CRAIG AND DR SHAZHAD TREATING TETANUS VICTIM OCT 05 |  DR NADEEM AND PATIENT OCT 05 |
 DR DIL AND PATIENT OCT 05 |  DR RIAZ SAEED, AMJID, HANS AND DR HUMA, RELIEF CAMP DEC 05 |
 DR GHAZALA, MOUNTAIN RELIEF CAMP 2006 |  DR JAD OCT 05 |
 DRS KHALID,MAJ AND DIL. DR SOHAIL, GIVE ME DOCTORS NOT DOLLARS OCT 05 |  DR NAS WITH FRESH TEAM OCT 05 |
 SN PALMERLEY AND HELPER OCT 05 |  ODA DURANT, ANAESTHETIST DR SHAHID AND PATIENT OCT 05 |
 BALAKOT, NW PAKISTAN OCT 05 | |
