Islamabad: German doctor Chris Schmotzer, who devoted her life to the service of humanity in Pakistan and worked tirelessly in the country for over 30 years, received the German “Order of Merit” earlier this week, the German Embassy in Pakistan said.
German Ambassador to Pakistan, Bernhard Schlagheck, awarded Dr. Chris Schmotzer the honor in Islamabad.
Pakistan’s health chief Dr. Faisal Sultan also attended the ceremony and commended the work of Dr. Schmotzer and her team.
CaptionDr. Faisal Sultan, special assistant to the prime minister on health (left) attended the award ceremony for Dr Chris Schmotzer at the German Embassy in Islamabad on December 17, 2020. (Photo Courtesy – German Embassy)
“The honor is the highest tribute the Federal Republic of Germany can pay to individuals for outstanding services,” the embassy said in a statement.
A member of the German Protestant Sisterhood of Christ-Bearers, the “German sister” as she is called lovingly by her Pakistani patients, decided to come to Pakistan shortly after finishing her medical studies in 1988.
“Dr. Chris Schmotzer was bestowed the Cross of Merit for her tireless service to humanity. As director of the Rawalpindi Leprosy Hospital, she has been serving the people of Pakistan for 33 years now, offering treatment to patients with leprosy, tuberculosis, eye and skin diseases as well as rehabilitation measures,” the statement said.
Since her arrival in Pakistan, Dr. Schmotzer has contributed to fight leprosy and tuberculosis. She also closely collaborated with Dr. Ruth Pfau and the Marie Adelaide Leprosy Center in Karachi.
Ambassador Schlagheck said Dr. Schmotzer was a “role model of true philanthropy.”
“Thirty-three years ago, as a young woman, she decided to devote her life to the service of humanity. In Rawalpindi and beyond, she is widely known and respected as a compassionate and devoted medical doctor who always gives priority to the treatment of sick and needy people.”
The Order of Merit, instituted in 1951, is awarded to German and foreign citizens for achievements in the political, economic, social or intellectual realm and for all kinds of outstanding services to the nation in the field of social, charitable or philanthropic work. The award is not associated with any financial allowance.
Rawalpindi Leprosy Hospital is the base and referral hospital for leprosy in the Northern half of Pakistan. It has 97 beds, around 100 employees and offers all diagnostic and treatment facilities.
In 2017, German doctor Ruth Pfau who dedicated her life to eradicating leprosy in Pakistan, died in Karachi at age 87.
