MUZAFFARGARH: Families of two boys suffering from Wilson’s disease have appealed to the government for help.

Ahmad Hassan, a first-year student residing with his family in Khan Garh village, Kaluwala, 25km from the city, had been affected from Wilson’s disease three years ago and the family was oblivious to it. They had approached doctors at Nishtar Hospital in Multan, who collected urine samples to have them checked through the Agha Khan laboratory. Test reports had revealed that Hassan contracted the disease due to cousin marriage of his parents.

Hassan’s father Saeed told Dawn he married his cousin in 1996 and had three children. His daughter Iqra, who was a Class V student, had died in 2008 due to the same disease but they were unaware of the reason at that time.

Doctors at the Agha Khan laboratory told Dawn symptoms of Wilson’s disease include the release of extra-ordinary levels of copper with urine that weakens a patient, who later dies.

In the village, another patient was awaiting treatment due to lack of resources and medicine.

Saeed said Dr Pervaiz Akhtar, a specialist at Nishtar, had advised him to take certain Vitamin tablets that were now short in the market. He claimed that he visited Karachi and Islamabad to look for the tablets, but could not find any because the government had recently allegedly banned them. He quoted the doctor as saying that there was no alternative medicine, adding his son Hassan was really weak and suffered from pains in his body.

Man says doctors warn his son may not live if ‘banned’ tablet not taken within a week

This correspondent visited the area and met with Hassan and the other patient Saifullah alias Bablu, 9. Hassan told Dawn he did not know about the disease when he contracted it, adding that when he stopped taking the tablets he would feel dizzy and forgets things. He said his family was seeking help from everywhere and demanding the tablet produced by Wilson company, but it was nowhere to be found.

He further said three years ago when he was diagnosed with the disease the medicine was also available. But now that it had been banned, his father was able to get only 20 tablets from Karachi, which would last less than a week.

Tahir Bhatti, an agriculture officer and Hassan’s uncle, said he had met with the executive district officer (health) and the health director general regarding shortage of the medicine, but nothing came out of the meeting. He said the government was busy with the Panama case, but his family was worried about shortage of the medicine, adding doctors had told him if the medicine was not taken the boy would die in a week. He added that earlier his niece had also died due to Wilson’s disease.

The family of Saifullah could also not get treatment for their child. They claimed doctors had advised them to visit a faith-healer or a shrine because they were helpless.

Saif’s mother said her husband had died three years ago and now her son was affected with the Wilson’s disease. She appealed to the prime minister, real estate tycoon Malik Riaz and the Bhutto-Zardari children to help her, saying Saif was a brilliant student but he could not eat himself and was too weak to even move.

Dr Mehr Iqbal of the DHQ Hospital said most children suffered from Wilson’s disease due to cousin marriages and later died.

Saeed, wiping his tears, said his other son Ahsan was also feeling weak, adding that he did not want financial help but requested the government to arrange for the required medicine as two families in the village were awaiting help for their children.

Published in Dawn November 21st, 2016