KARACHI, Oct 26: Another batch of 33 survivors, with multiple injuries, evacuated from earthquake hit areas was brought to the city by a PAF C-130 aircraft for treatment at the government and private hospitals, including Civil Hospital, on Wednesday evening.

The airlift of patients, mostly waiting for their first or second operation for limb corrections in different field hospitals in Muzaffarabad, Balakot and other parts of northern areas, was arranged by the Private Hospitals Association, Pakistan Medical Association and PAF, said a doctor involved in the process.

The fresh batch of 19 female and 14 male patients, including two minors, was transported from the PAF Base, Faisal, to four city hospitals mainly in Edhi ambulances.

It was learnt that one of the patients, admitted to a private hospital, was a nursing mother who delivered a baby after the quake through caesarean section carried out by Dr Sher Shah of Karachi at Mansehra. “The mother has got her leg fractured whereas the baby is doing well,” said the doctor.

Talking to Dawn, Head of the Anaesthesia Department, Civil Hospital Karachi, Dr Tipu Sultan, who had been to the quake affected areas to select the patients needed to be shifted to Karachi, said that most of the survivors in question were with multiple injuries who could not get proper attention due to the overload work at the field and regular hospitals and health units of the government.

Some of them were waiting for operation for two weeks while some others could not be monitored or provided follow-up treatment after initial surgeries. Now the incoming patients, who are attended by one or two of their relatives, would be re-examined and operated upon duly from Thursday and onwards, added Dr Tipu.

In reply to a question, he said that 24 people who were airlifted into the city on October 19 under the arrangements made by PMA and private hospitals had already been operated upon and were now in stable condition. The patients would be provided treatment and rehabilitation facilities under a package sponsored by the public and private sectors, he stated.

Twelve patients of the new batch were admitted to the CHK, , 14 to Murshid Hospital, three to Hamdard University Hospital and four to the Trauma and Orthopaedic Clinic4.

Dr Kaleem Butt, MS of the CHK, said that the hospital had received six male and six women patients. A child has been shifted to CHK for treatment of severe face injuries. He said that the patients had been accommodated in the newly- built OT Complex where nurses and doctors were attending them. Most of them needed urgent surgery to avoid any further complications, he added.

In the meantime, an 18-year old quake victim, Nafeesa, with a severe fracture in her right foot, was admitted to the Patel Hospital recently. She was first brought to Muzaffarabad five days after the quake and was later operated upon thrice at an Islamabad medical complex.

The PMA has pledged follow-up treatment to the patients free of cost, PPI adds.

The patients arrived in the city on Wednesday are: Begum Jan, Naveed Hasan, Haroon Jan, Shazia, Bibi Jan, Ms Bilquis, Ms Perveen, Abdul Hameed, Ameer Khan, Walayatan Bibi, Abdul Mateen, Ms Rubina, Ms Naziran, Altaf, Saeed, Bibi Hajra, Pervez, Miskeen, Fareed Hussain, Sajid Hussain, Syed Abdul Shah, Sheraz, Waseem, Bibi Saba, Ms Sana, Shehnaz, Khurshid Bibi, Abdul Rasheed, Ms Zubaida, Nabeel, Ms Yasmeen, Ms Jana Bibi, Akbar Jan and Ms Shereen.