Seema Gul’s Facial Skin Infection
Seema Gul* | 4-years old | Follday Village, Bamyan, Afghanistan
Seema Gul, a healthy 4-year old from Follday Village, Bamyan, Afghanistan, contracted a severe skin infection on her face and spent many harrowing days as her parents struggled to find a treatment.

She was a healthy, playful preschooler when she contracted a skin infection causing red sores over her right, upper cheek area, extending upto her lower eyelid. Amir Jan and his wife resorted to self-medication to treat the rash, taking medicines from a local pharmacy in Bamyan. The rash worsened with the medication and led them seek medical help from Hamidy Private Clinic in the Bamyan, 23 km away from their village. Soon after the treatment from the local clinic, the sores started to burst, forming honey colored crusts on Seema’s face - nothing seemed to be helping. Disappointed with the treatment and worsening rash, Seema’s mother reached out to the community for help and to her rescue came a beneficiary of the AKDN Digital Health Programme. As per his advice, Seema was taken to the Bamyan Provincial Hospital (BPH), 2.5 km away from home.
Due to the lack of specialist dermatology services available at the Bamyan Provincial Hospital, Dr. Abdul Rashed Ehraz, Paediatrician, Bamyan Provincial Hospital, scheduled a live teleconsultation with Dr. Hayatullah Noor Shalizi, Dermatologist, at the French Medical Institute for Children (FMIC) in Kabul.
Dr Shalizi diagnosed Seema with Impetigo, a highly contagious bacterial skin infection that primarily affects infants and children. He prescribed antibiotics and advised her to take hygienic precautions.

Seema was as able to make a full recovery through only one teleconsultation session. Dr Shalizi was happy to find that Seema had recovered during the follow-up teleconsultation.
Amir Jan was very grateful for the availability of the AKDN Digital Health Programme at the Bamyan Provincial Hospital, which made it possible for them to get Seema treated without having to travel to FMIC, saving them a considerable amount of time and travel expenses.
*Names have been changed to protect the privacy of individuals.