Dr. Damane Zehra
Damane Zehra is a radiation oncologist in Pakistan.
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Latest articles
Physician voices
It has been almost 1.5 months since Dr. A. was assigned to me as one of the two junior doctors working with me. Both of them are first-year residents. Dr. S. is very sweet, hardworking, and eager to learn. Most…
It has been almost 1.5 months since Dr. A. was assigned to me as one of the two junior doctors working with me. Both of them are first-year residents.
Dr. S. is very sweet, hardworking, and eager to learn. Most of the time, she is the one doing all the work. Dr. A. is a first-year resident too, but S., being a fresh graduate, is more junior, and maybe that is …
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Why I cried with a colleague I did not even like
Physician voices
This photo shows one of my patients' children. (I am sharing the photo with the family's consent.) Can you guess the secret behind this photo? Let me tell you about the background. The difficult diagnosis of pregnancy-associated breast cancer Mrs.…
This photo shows one of my patients’ children. (I am sharing the photo with the family’s consent.) Can you guess the secret behind this photo? Let me tell you about the background.
The difficult diagnosis of pregnancy-associated breast cancer
Mrs. U was in her first trimester of pregnancy when she discovered a lump in her right breast. Work-up revealed that it was a highly …
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The tragic reality of pregnancy-associated breast cancer
Physician voices
I was in a deep sleep when my phone rang. I looked around; it was still dark. For a moment, I thought it was my alarm, but it was only 5 a.m. It was not the alarm after all. Instead,…
I was in a deep sleep when my phone rang. I looked around; it was still dark. For a moment, I thought it was my alarm, but it was only 5 a.m. It was not the alarm after all. Instead, it was a phone call from an unknown number. I answered it, and to my surprise, it was a patient I had seen in the clinic the previous week. She …
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A touching story of patient gratitude and a dozen eggs
Conditions and diseases
It is very cold in Islamabad. These days, I feel overwhelmed by joblessness, the constant lack of money, an upcoming medical exam, and the slow progress I am making in life. Apart from studying for my upcoming medical exam, the…
It is very cold in Islamabad. These days, I feel overwhelmed by joblessness, the constant lack of money, an upcoming medical exam, and the slow progress I am making in life. Apart from studying for my upcoming medical exam, the most consistent part of my routine has become counting money. I check all my bank accounts, calculate every remaining rupee, and make small, anxious plans about how I will manage …
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Winter in Islamabad: Finding hope in the daily struggle
Conditions and diseases
Yesterday morning, I learned that one of my teachers had passed away. He was only 63, a devoted, tireless oncologist who spent his life teaching and training many oncologists across Pakistan. Many of his students went on to work abroad…
Yesterday morning, I learned that one of my teachers had passed away. He was only 63, a devoted, tireless oncologist who spent his life teaching and training many oncologists across Pakistan. Many of his students went on to work abroad as senior oncologists and professors, carrying his legacy far beyond borders.
He was not my direct teacher, but rather the teacher of my supervisor, a teacher of a teacher. Yet distance …
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A tribute to an oncologist: the power of mentorship in medicine
Conditions and diseases
Over the past few days, I have read numerous articles reflecting on 2025: what people achieved, what they lost, how many books they read, and how they touched the lives around them. I found myself lingering on them, thinking, reflecting.…
Over the past few days, I have read numerous articles reflecting on 2025: what people achieved, what they lost, how many books they read, and how they touched the lives around them. I found myself lingering on them, thinking, reflecting. But today, I want to pause on something closer to home: my first day of this new year, January 1, 2026.
I am sitting in the library, one of my favorite …
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A physician’s quiet reflection on January 1, 2026
Conditions and diseases
I had been trying to write this story for a long time. The topic is so heavy that it took a great deal of courage and emotional strength to finally put it into words. This story is not about a…
I had been trying to write this story for a long time. The topic is so heavy that it took a great deal of courage and emotional strength to finally put it into words. This story is not about a patient; rather, it is about a caregiver.
I met Mrs. N. in 2020. She travelled from Gujranwala to Islamabad (a distance of 223 kilometers) to begin her treatment. Mrs. N. was …
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Breast cancer and the daughter who gave everything
Conditions and diseases
This is not a detailed story like the ones I usually write. It's just a little breeze of warmth that touched my soul and heart, and I wanted to share it with you. I had been so overwhelmed over the…
This is not a detailed story like the ones I usually write. It’s just a little breeze of warmth that touched my soul and heart, and I wanted to share it with you.
I had been so overwhelmed over the past weeks, taking care of so many patients for months and staying in a place where there was no one to listen to me. In fact, I was the only listener …
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The emotional toll of leaving patients behind
Physician voices
In the quiet moments of illness, I witness love and loss unfold. I usually place the beds of relatively sick patients closest to my workstation. While I can monitor all the patients, except for a few female beds behind curtains,…
In the quiet moments of illness, I witness love and loss unfold.
I usually place the beds of relatively sick patients closest to my workstation. While I can monitor all the patients, except for a few female beds behind curtains, this arrangement helps me keep a closer eye on those who are more ill, particularly those receiving chemotherapy.
Directly in front of my counter lies a 50-year-old gentleman recently diagnosed with primary …
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Love and loss in the oncology ward
Physician voices
I like quails. They resemble sparrows but are slightly larger. Quails are relatively quiet and easy to keep since they cannot fly much, unlike sparrows. They have a good lifespan as well. Since childhood, I have raised many quails, and…
I like quails. They resemble sparrows but are slightly larger. Quails are relatively quiet and easy to keep since they cannot fly much, unlike sparrows. They have a good lifespan as well. Since childhood, I have raised many quails, and I currently have two that I bought in 2023.
The quails have aged significantly, and the male has plucked many feathers from the female’s body. As a result, there are bald …
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Love, birds, and fries: a story of innocence and connection
Physician voices
I remember a night during my first year of residency in oncology when I was on call. It was after midnight, and I was sitting at the ward counter. I often struggle to sleep during night shifts, especially when I'm…
I remember a night during my first year of residency in oncology when I was on call. It was after midnight, and I was sitting at the ward counter.
I often struggle to sleep during night shifts, especially when I’m the only doctor on call. I prefer to stay at the counter because I dread the thought of some terrible thing happening and not being able to reach the ward in …
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What a dying patient taught me about compassion in silence
Physician voices
I have never been outside my hospital since I joined two months ago. As the only doctor in the oncology department, I cannot take the time to roam around the hospital. My duty hours are filled with chemotherapy treatments and…
I have never been outside my hospital since I joined two months ago.
As the only doctor in the oncology department, I cannot take the time to roam around the hospital. My duty hours are filled with chemotherapy treatments and the continuous monitoring of sick patients.
The hospital where I work is affiliated with a private medical college. On Saturdays and Sundays, the students have a holiday. It was a Saturday, and …
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How a rainy walk helped an oncologist rediscover joy and bravery
Conditions and diseases
I was working in my oncology ward as usual when I received a call from the medical ICU to evaluate a patient. The patient was a young male who had been admitted a few days earlier with severe respiratory distress.…
I was working in my oncology ward as usual when I received a call from the medical ICU to evaluate a patient. The patient was a young male who had been admitted a few days earlier with severe respiratory distress. His workup raised suspicion of a possible malignancy (cancer). This was the information provided to me by the doctor in the ICU.
When I entered the ICU, I met a young …
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What a dying patient’s handshake taught me about life and love
Physician voices
As a child, I was an introvert. Due to various circumstances, I didn't have the opportunity to play any sports. On many days, I see young children playing football or cricket in the large cricket park in front of my…
As a child, I was an introvert. Due to various circumstances, I didn’t have the opportunity to play any sports.
On many days, I see young children playing football or cricket in the large cricket park in front of my home. Various trainers from different sports clubs bring their teams of girls and boys to play football. They do stretches and warm-up runs, and I watch them from a distance.
I stop …
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The child within: a grown woman’s quiet grief
Physician voices
When I was unemployed, I applied for countless positions. For months, I have been waiting for a call letter regarding a test or an interview. Now that I have accepted a job at a hospital located far away, I receive…
When I was unemployed, I applied for countless positions. For months, I have been waiting for a call letter regarding a test or an interview. Now that I have accepted a job at a hospital located far away, I receive call letters in the mail almost every day. This makes me uncomfortable because I know that, being new in my position, I cannot take time off for any test or …
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A female doctor’s day: exhaustion, sacrifice, and a single moment of joy
Physician voices
"What did you have for breakfast today?" This phrase is a crucial part of my morning rounds. While interacting with the patient, the greeting is very important. I believe doctors who approach the bedside without introducing themselves and who immediately…
“What did you have for breakfast today?”
This phrase is a crucial part of my morning rounds.
While interacting with the patient, the greeting is very important. I believe doctors who approach the bedside without introducing themselves and who immediately ask about the patient’s active complaint tend to come across as less compassionate (whatever their actual intentions might be). This can hinder the development of the bond necessary for obtaining a complete …
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How one simple breakfast question can transform patient care
Conditions and diseases
I am currently working as a senior registrar in the oncology unit of a trust hospital. We admit both oncology and hematology patients in the same ward, meaning we care for patients with solid tumors as well as those with…
I am currently working as a senior registrar in the oncology unit of a trust hospital. We admit both oncology and hematology patients in the same ward, meaning we care for patients with solid tumors as well as those with blood cancers. Our hospital has only one oncology ward, which has ten beds. Since it is a trust hospital, most treatments are provided completely free of charge. I love working …
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A doctor’s emotional struggle with a young leukemia patient
Physician voices
One of my friends from school studied with me in 9th grade. She was exceptionally pretty, the kind of beauty that stood out. She was the only daughter and had a younger brother. She got married at a relatively young…
One of my friends from school studied with me in 9th grade. She was exceptionally pretty, the kind of beauty that stood out. She was the only daughter and had a younger brother. She got married at a relatively young age and had one son. After her marriage, she moved to another city. She lived in a joint family and had many responsibilities, managing a lot of issues on her …
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When a friend’s mother became my patient and changed my life
Drugs and prescribing
I absolutely hate prescribing medication to children. I am quite worried when someone asks for my opinion on a sick child. I have some experience treating children during my internship and residency, yet I am pretty uncomfortable. However, living in…
I absolutely hate prescribing medication to children.
I am quite worried when someone asks for my opinion on a sick child. I have some experience treating children during my internship and residency, yet I am pretty uncomfortable.
However, living in a lower middle-income country, where the average man already lives a difficult life due to high health care costs and limited income, health expenditure significantly impacts monthly finances. That is why people …
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Why prescribing medicine to kids scares even experienced doctors
Social media in medicine
Social media is an incredible tool for staying connected with loved ones and the world. But sometimes, I wonder, are we truly connected? Or is this connection merely an illusion? I was addicted to social media. I believe this addiction…
Social media is an incredible tool for staying connected with loved ones and the world. But sometimes, I wonder, are we truly connected? Or is this connection merely an illusion?
I was addicted to social media. I believe this addiction began in 2012, during my first year of medical school. That’s when I asked my father to install an internet connection, claiming it was just for study purposes. It’s a common …
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How I escaped the toxic grip of social media
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