A war veteran who lives in Glasgow says he has been out of work for four years due to gunshot injuries he sustained while serving for the British army in Afghanistan over a decade ago.
Battling on the frontline in the Helmand province, February 4 2010 was a dark day for Jamal Barak as he lay on the ground for three hours anxiously waiting for help to arrive after two bullets pierced through his body - one in the right arm and the other in his chest.
At the cusp of adulthood, he joined the army when he was around 17-years-old as a patrol interpreter.
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He was serving with the Scots Guards when he was shot - at age 18 and less than a year into his service - and recalled the terrifying day he thought his life was over.
The now 30-year-old, who lives in the city centre, told Glasgow Live: "We came under attack and it was a very sad day.
"I remember being on the ground for three hours as they couldn’t pick me up and take me to hospital. I was really shocked and thought I wouldn't get to the hospital because we were still under attack.
"I thought my life was gone and I was going to die."
Jamal managed to get to hospital in time for treatment but says he has never recovered from the pain and post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) following the attack.
After being shot, he was working inside the military camp before the Ministry of Defence (MOD) later offered the Afghan national a relocation package and he came to the UK in 2015.
He added: "I’m not a normal person now. I used to go to the gym and work hard but since that day it’s affected my life.
"The reality is that I can’t walk for too long because of where the bullet came to my chest and exited where the spine is. I can’t lift anything heavy
"I can't sleep at night. Sometimes I get the feeling that I don’t want to live in this world anymore."
In a report published in June 2020, the UK government pledged to support formally local employed staff in Afghanistan who were injured as a result of their employment with the MOD.
Glasgow Live has seen an email which shows that Jamal's claim was rejected on the basis of the lack of evidence suggesting 'a significant permanent physical or mental impairment of your condition to award a payment'.
But he says the MOD were provided with hundreds of pages of medical evidence from 2015 highlighting the impact those injuries have had in his life.
Jamal said: "When I came to the UK I worked for a few months but couldn’t do it and had to give up the job.
"I provided all the pages the consultants have written to say I’ve been suffering from pain and have not worked. Did they want me to lose my legs and hands? It’s mental.
"I gave so much of my life to the army and this is what I get, it’s very disappointing. I will try my best and fight against this as much as I can."
The MOD told Glasgow Live they do not comment on individual cases.
A spokesperson said: “Following the presenting of sufficient evidence, the UK government is committed to awarding appropriate ex-gratia medical payments to those brave people who worked alongside our soldiers on patrol.
“All claims are assessed by a team of highly qualified medical and legal experts against published criteria. Should conditions worsen after the point of decision, or should further evidence in support of claims become available, applicants can let us know and we will reassess the case.”
For a claim to be accepted, the following criteria must be met:
- The injury must have occurred during MOD employment and have been recorded by the Department at the time
- There must be sufficient evidence that the condition has deteriorated beyond what was assessed as the projected recovery at the time, or that a new condition has arisen as a result of the original injury. These must have been reported within 3 years of formal diagnosis of the deterioration or new condition
- The deterioration or new condition must be a significant permanent physical or mental impairment or disability, including any serious scarring or disfigurement. These payments are not intended to provide compensation for those injuries where the individual is expected to make a complete recovery or where they may be left with some permanent or long-lasting impairment of a less serious nature, for example limited in either the degree of pain or loss of faculty.
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