KARACHI: Children with deformities leave for US today
By Our Staff Reporter
KARACHI, May 23: Five children who cannot be treated in Pakistan will leave for the United States on Friday to get free treatment sponsored by the US-based NGO, House of Charity.
This was stated by the speakers at a press conference organized by the Healthcare And Social Welfare Association, a local NGO that helps the House of Charity in identifying deserving children, at the Rafia Chaudhry Auditorium here on Thursday.
The five children — Maimoona, Aimen, Faisal Abbas, Wasif and Kisa Fatima — are being escorted by Ghulam Bombaywalla of the House of Charity to Texas, where they would be surgically treated at Shriners Hospital in Galveston for deformities. Some of them will be provided with limbs as well.
The speakers, at the press conference, said that negotiations were also going on between HASWA and the House of Charity to set up a centre in Pakistan, where rather than referring patients to the US, such cases could be treated here by performing surgery and providing prostheses at a fraction of the cost. They said that under the plan, local doctors would also be provided training.
They said that the selection process of the patients was very simple and based on two points — they should be poor and could not afford the treatment themselves or the treatment was not available in the country.
The speakers said that the House of Charity is trying to help, hope and heal children around the world.
The cases of applicants were thoroughly scrutinized locally and then medical reports, etc, were also sent to the House of Charity, where these were again scrutinized and final selection was made, they added.
They said that treatment in the US was very expensive and if these five children underwent the treatment on their own, they would have to pay around $1 million. But various doctors and hospitals provided heavy subsidy to the House of Charity and the volunteers kept the patients at home. So, the cost of five patients would roughly come to round $100,000.
Giving the background of the five children, they said that 12- year-old Maimoona was going to buy sweets when someone threw acid on her back due to an old family feud. As she turned, the acid burned the side of her face, neck and body, along with one of her eyes.
Eight-year-old Faisal Abbas suffered burns at home while playing in the kitchen. Though he had undergone extensive surgery, the condition keeps recurring.
Two-year-old Aiman was born with Congenital Giant Mellanocytic Hairy Neveaus which covers half her half face and she needs specialized treatment in the US.
They said that another group of five children would be leaving for the US in a few months. They said that the House of Charity had been taking children from here to the US for over five years and over 25 children had received treatment so far.
Three children — Saqlain Hussain Shah, Fahim Shah and Khurram — who had undergone treatment and returned to the country were also present at the press conference.
They asked the people that if they knew of any children whose parents could not afford treatment or whose treatment was not available in Pakistan, to refer them to Dr Feroz Ismail at 18-C, Ist floor, 38 Commercial Street, Tauheed Commercial Area, Phase V, DHA. The phone numbers are 5869076 and 5214579.
Ghulam Bombaywalla of the House of Charity, Dr Feroz Ismail, Dr Najam Qureshi, Deena Mistry, Roohana Iqbal and others spoke.
