LAHORE: The underage maid who was tortured by her employers was shifted to the intensive care unit (ICU) of the Lahore General Hospital after her condition deteriorated on Sunday.

LGH Chief Executive Prof Al-fareed Zafar has declared the next 48 hours highly crucial for the girl, Rizwana, saying the special board of senior doctors treating the girl fears that she may need the ventilator support.

He told this reporter by phone that the girl’s mother had suspected that Rizwana had been administered poison by her employer(s) during domestic violence in Islamabad. At this, the doctors sent blood and other samples of the girl to the laboratory.

Rizwana’s father was a worker by profession. She belonged to Sargodha but was shifted to LGH in critical condition on July 24. The wife of a civil judge in Islamabad had allegedly tortured her severely, accusing her of stealing gold jewellery.

Prof Zafar said an emergency meeting of the special medical board was called when the duty doctors informed him about the deteriorating condition of the girl.

According to the doctors, the wounds were too old, due to which the infection in Rizwana’s blood had increased. Some members of the medical board told the media that the girl had an infection in her lungs, which was making breathing difficult for her. They said Rizwana was undergoing frequent episodes of psychological problems due to severe torture. Following her mental and physical health conditions, the board members declared that they were unsure about her recovery.

To a question, Prof Zafar and head of the medical board Prof Jodat Saleem said Rizwana had a severe infection in one lung and blood clots in the other and her saturation level was constantly decreasing.

Prof Zafar said Rizwana has been diagnosed with sepsis and she was a suspected Covid patient and her samples had been sent for diagnosis of Covid.

Published in Dawn, July 31st, 2023